2018 JAGUAR XF PRESTIGE 25T
Stylish car offers engaging drive for those who want to stand out from the crowd
As might be expected, the recently released F-Pace SUV has vaulted to the top of Jaguar’s sales charts, but if we delve into the automaker’s history, the essence of this British marque is underpinned by a steady parade of posh, pretty and performance-oriented boutique sedans stretching back to the mid-1930s.
The 2018 Jaguar XF Prestige 25t certainly waves that flag, hunkered over its 19-inch alloys with a svelte, sinewy elegance, although I would caution that dark hues mute the XF’s subtly sensuous lines to near anonymity. Still, a lovely car, and one that offers an intriguing and perfectly viable alternative to the default Germans.
For 2018, the Jaguar XF features Jaguar’s fresh in-house 2.0-L Ingenium turbocharged, gas-powered four-cylinder, which joins the diesel version of the Ingenium available last year. Jaguar has also implemented an obtuse badging system that is somewhat … um, Germanic.
The XF 20d ($60,900 to start) carries a 180-horsepower, 318 poundfoot 2.0-L turbo diesel four. This tester is the new entry-level 25t ($58,900 to start, although tested in $63,700 Prestige trim), and this badge tells us it uses the Ingenium 2.0-L turbo gasoline engine with an output of 247 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque.
Next up is the 30t at $61,400, a more potent version of the turbo four-pot making 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. For 2018, the only XF with a 3.0-L supercharged V6 is the 380-hp XF S at $74,500.
Standard on all Canadian XF models is an eight-speed ZF-sourced automatic transmission with paddle shifters and Instinctive All Wheel Drive, featuring a sporty 68 per cent default rear-drive bias. Selectable drive modes include Rain/Ice/ Snow, Eco, Normal and Dynamic.
The Jaguar XF has a fantastic chassis, one its competitors could do well to study. And even without the optional adaptive dampers, this 25t tester displayed an impressive blend of ride compliance and taut body control. The sedan is beautifully balanced and light on its feet, helped along by electric steering that feels accurate and naturally weighted.
Fuel economy for the 25t is pegged at 10.1 L/100 km in the city, 7.2 on the highway and 8.8 combined. Premium fuel is recommended. As with all Jags, the cabin feels intimate. A design feature borrowed from big brother XJ is the Riva Hoop, a narrow architectural detail that sweeps across the top of the dash and flows into the door panels. The centre console is deliberately high to increase the cosseting factor.
Press the pulsating red starter button and you are treated to a bit of theatre: the dash vents open like mini garage doors and the rotary gear selector (an ergonomic success) rises Phoenix-like from the console. Everything looks rich and is built to a high standard, although the front seats are on the firm side.
With its high beltline, low roofline and thick A-pillars, great outward visibility is not one of this car’s virtues, but the driving position is spot on.
You’ll want the $2,550 Vision Package (adaptive LED headlights, emergency braking, blind-spot monitor, reverse-traffic monitor, lane-departure warning).
And upping the ante here is the $3,170 Technology Package that bestows JLR’s latest InControl Pro 10.2-inch touch screen, a configurable main instrument TFT screen and to-die-for 825-watt Meridian audio. The screen’s graphics are good and response time is quick, but certain things, like accessing seat heater controls and basic radio functions, require too much distracting screen poking.
Ah, but I can forgive this swift, sensuous feline a few foibles for what it does offer, and that is a delightfully engaging luxury driving experience wrapped in an alluring aluminum skin. And while Jaguar might be not particularly thrilled that XF sales are a fraction of those Swabian mainstays, its near boutique status ensures a degree of exclusivity for those who dare to be different.