Executive express
Jaguar is just going from strength to strength
Jaguar’s range of cars has never been better and the company’s global sales are booming.
The baby XE has been a big hit, the stunning F-type roadsters and coupes can compete with the best and the F-Pace SUV has the company’s plants working flat out to meet the demand.
Meanwhile the XF executive saloon which helped transform the firm’s fortunes had a major makeover to make sure it is able to compete with the best from German rivals Mercedes, Audi and BMW.
The current model made its debut in New York and it was clear from the start that it had taken some of its styling cues from the smaller XE - making it look sharper and edgier.
The overall result was a refinement of the original XF with more space and easier access for passengers as well as extra room for luggage and vastly increased technology.
Its lightweight aluminium construction and a range of improved or new efficient engines helped to keep running costs low for private and company car users making it a very desirable executive all-rounder.
I have been sampling the 3.0-litre TDV6 S model which punches out almost 300bhp.
The silky smooth V6 diesel is good for 155mph and tackles the sprint to 60mph in just 5.8 seconds.
Thanks to its eight-speed automatic gearbox the power delivery is seamless and the claimed combined fuel figure is 51.4mpg.
You can expect to get less in real driving conditions but I still averaged over 45mpg superb for a car of this size and performance.
Motorway journeys are effortless and the ride quality is excellent and if you want more driver involvement you can opt to use the standard steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.
The S model gets Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics adjustable suspension as standard and as a result you can tweak the car’s damping through the various driving modes.
In the Dynamic setting the car feels tauter and sharper and responds quicker to direction changes, while in Comfort the ride is excellent even on the large wheels and the dampers easily deal with most bumps and road imperfections.
As you would expect from a car with a base price of £49,995 the TDV6 S is seriously well specced and offers all the toys and equipment you could want in its classy and stylish interior.
Standard equipment includes the S bodykit, alloys, leather clad electrically adjustable front sports seats, a touch-screen, leather seats, DAB radio, Meridian sound system, satnav, analogue dials with a full colour TFTLCD display, Bluetooth for telephone and streaming and other features too numerous to mention.
In addition you get all the latest safety features including umpteen airbags, hill start assist, parking aids, pedestrian contact sensing, emergency brake assist, lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking.
If you want even more you can delve into the options list which can easily add another few thousand pounds to your final bill.
With its superb blend of performance, style and sheer driving pleasure it is no surprise that the XF is one of the best saloons in the business and as far as I am concerned more than a match for any of its rivals.