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THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 10 2012 22:35 | LAST UPDATED Feb 10 2012 22:35 |
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In an attempt to overcome his dislike for Jaguar's new-fangled design language, Steve Smith samples two new engines in Jag's XF range. Jags have always had a certain unobtainable, even illicit, mystique for me. Events in my formative years pegged it as the chosen vehicle of people who lived their lives on a plane a few notches above my own station. Back in the 1970s, my gran worked in a Boksburg high street ladies boutique called "Gay Fashions". Yes, those were innocent times. Her boss Gladys's husband, Jimmy, owned a Jag. They were rich, lived in a mansion and swanned around in a gleaming white XJ. It made an impression. My folks also had a friend called John. I don't really remember him as much as I recall them talking in hushed, almost reverential, tones of his adventures in his grey Jag MK II saloon. From what I could work out, he was a bit of lady killer, and all sorts of naughty things occurred in the MK II. Part of Jag's aura has been the DNA carried through its cars. Right up until the XF's predecessor, the S-Type, you could see Jag's heritage in the signature lines like the sloping boot and the round headlights. Inside, too, was that feeling of bespoke upper-class carriage resplendent in walnut veneer and Connolly hide trimming. Sure, poor build quality during the 1970s and 1980s meant expensive bits of Jaguar would fall off the car with alarming regularity, but there was still the charm factor. Anyway, once Ford bought the marque in '89, those dark days were over. While I was glad the American company's stewardship returned some semblance of quality control to Jag, I wasn't convinced by the new aesthetic they opted for with the XF saloon and the XK sport scar. Neither carried any of the Jag DNA -- the XK even looked like a total crib of the Aston Martin DB9. Now owned by Indian giant Tata, the XF and the upcoming XJ continue Jag's bollocks-to-the-past new look. Recently Jag very kindly let me drive two new XF models, both with updated engines for 2010, and while I remain unconvinced by the outside -- the back looks like an Aston and the front like an upmarket Hyundai -- the rest of the car makes a very compelling case. Inside the cabin ... For consecutive weeks my toosh enjoyed the luxury of what has to be the finest interior in this market niche. Jag's minister of the interior, Alister Whelan, created an award-winning cabin that incorporates luxury trimmings such as wood and aluminium, and sophisticated instrumentation into a design that's utterly contemporary, yet maintains Jag's slightly snobby interior ambiance. Two standout features are the XF's climate control system vents that roll quietly and smoothly out of sight when not in use, and the JaguarDrive Selector transmission interface. Press the stop/start button and the dial silently emerges from the centre console for you to turn from "park" to "drive" or, if you're feeling frisky, to "sport". Under the bonnet ... Initially, the new 5,0-litre V8 appears underwhelming. Up from the previous 4,3-litre motor, the extra power is certainly enough to blow one's tweed cap off, but if you're expecting the sonic soundtrack of a rorty big vee with 380 horses straining to their unfettered freedom, you'll be disappointed. And so you should be. Jag's target market would pooh pooh such histrionics. They are a discreet bunch who don't abide by loud showmanship and prefer a more subtle approach from their automobiles.  CONTINUES BELOW The aluminium 5,0-litre Jag is the quintessential steel fist in a velvet glove with its excellent six-speed auto able to smoothly transfer all that power on to the road without the hint of anything quite so common as wheelspin. Helluva impressive. But not as impressive as the diesel. Jag offers two new 3,0-litre turbo-diesels to replace to old 2,7-litre unit. One is the more eco-orientated 177kW derivative, and the other, which I drove, is the more powerful 202kW "S" model. Both these new diesels use two turbos to ensure you're getting optimal horses through rev range. Turbo number one operates below 2 800 for maximum fuel efficiency and emissions reduction, before turbo two comes on line to hurry up proceedings and provide the requisite oomph. And on the road ... The ride quality is similar on both cars -- they manage a fine balance between firmness and comfort. With no tweaks, it's the quintessential luxury sedan shielding you from the hoi polloi on the other side of the window in total comfort. On the other hand, switch to sports mode and turn off the DSC, and one can chuck it about with enough gusto to evoke memories of galloping through the countryside with the hounds barking and the foxes shaking. The diesel doesn't quite have the straight-line speed of the V8, but with 600Nm of torque available, it's got the low to midrange grunt to accelerate past most other road users. And it's exactly that kind of tractability that's employed most often in day-to-day driving. Add to that the R83 000 saving over the 5,0-litre, and cheaper fuel bills, and the turbo-diesel becomes my choice. One slight drawback is that it needs low-sulphur, 50 parts-per-million diesel, and not every filling station has that. Enough stations do, though, to work around the problem. Verdict I'm still not sold on the looks, but the car's sublime interior and its ability to hunker down and turn into a sports sedan are beginning to soften my old-school prejudices. The car's pedigree is still there and that might just be enough to make Merc's new E-Class, and the imminent 5-Series replacement, smell a little too much like new money. FAST FACTS Jaguar XF 5,0 V8 Price: R755 000 Engine: 5 000cc V8 petrol, 283kW , 515Nm Performance (claimed) 0-100km/h: 5,7s, top speed 250km/h Fuel Consumption (claimed combined cycle): 11,1 litre/110km Jaguar XF 3,0D S Price: R672 000 Engine: 2 993cc V6 turbo-diesel, 202kW, 600Nm Performance (claimed) 0-100km/h: 6,4s, top speed 250km/h Fuel Consumption (claimed combined cycle): 6.8 litre/110km TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
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