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The Bottom Line:
With the 2009 Jaguar XF, they’ve come as close as anybody to delivering the sport sedan feel of a BMW 5-Series.
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“only a V-8 under the hood”
“passing power in a heartbeat”
shifter is a “James Bond just-in-time gizmo”
“shifts are brilliantly quick”
18/23 mpg fuel economy (base car)
Safety features will include dual front and side thorax bags for the front row and head curtains for both rows. Active safety features include Electronic Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Anti-lock Braking System, Dynamic Stability Control, Cornering Brake Control, and Engine Drag Torque Control. The new Understeer Control Logic will slow the car to help restore grip to the front wheels when needed.
A variety of audio systems all classify as audiophile quality, even the base package offering eight speakers and a subwoofer. The top-line version was designed for the XF by the British audio specialists, Bowers & Wilkins. Other standard or available electronic goodies include Bluetooth phone link, a built-in navigation system, Sirius satellite radio and built-in links for an iPod or another MP3 player.
The 14-speaker, 440-watt premium audio system was part of the draw at the Frankfurt show. The partnership between British loudspeaker manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins and Jaguar began before the XF was designed — an unusual opportunity — so engineers were able to leave space for speakers in their ideal positions for the Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system in the XF. The speakers used have unique Kevlar cones and metal-dome tweeter transducers, to eliminate standing waves and extend treble response, respectively.
The original S-Type took plenty of hits for its underwhelming interior, which has been upgraded several times since launch. The new mid-size model is decidedly more upmarket, with a much more contemporary blend of metals, woods and leather. The new JaguarSense lighting system features proximity switches that are supposed to be much easier to operate at night.
“It was time for Jaguar to be bold,” declares Wayne Burgess, who oversaw the design of the XF.
Arguably, that time has come and
might already be gone. Jaguar has fallen far, far short of its one-time sales
and profit targets and now, as its parent struggles to raise much-needed cash,
Ford has announced it is putting the British brand on the auction block — along
with the other
It’s rare for one car to turn things around for a brand, but with the help of the XK, the new XF might be able to regain some much-needed momentum, and for whomever ultimately owns and operates Jaguar, that’s going to be critical.
The XF goes on sale in the U.S. in March of 2008, priced from $49,975, with Supercharged versions beginning from $62,975.
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2007 Frankfurt Auto Show Coverage by TCC Team (9/4/2007)
