Jaguar XF

Less variants, but more luxury for Jaguar's large luxo sedan. Does the updated XF have what it takes to make an impression?

This really is the Jaguar’s last-chance saloon. Mike gets behind the wheel of the large-sized Jaguar sedan on its home turf

Jaguar's rival to the BMW 5 Series and Merc's E-Class has gained a racy Chequered Flag name. But does the badging bring some extra sportiness to the Jaguar XF?

Jag's high-quality alternative to the usual SUV.

A new 300 Sport model grade is the sole Jaguar XF variant for Model Year 2023, with more of some features as standard – but less of others.

The British luxury car maker has consolidated its XF line-up locally, providing only one variant of the model.

Jaguar's large sedan rival to the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class is in line for a nip-and-tuck.

Fewer than 500 cars are included in the campaign, which will require a software update to fix.

I'd always loved the look of the Jaguar XF. That it was built when Jaguar had become a division of Ford gave me confidence. I'd grown up with Jaguar owners saying that they needed two cars - one to drive while the other was in the garage being worked on. I was fortunate to purchase a MY2012 car in mid-2014. It was a one-owner with 32,000 km on the clock. In odyssy red with barley interior, chrome grill and Lyra 18" mag wheels, it was a case of love at first sight. When I first sat in it, I was in heaven. It was my first diesel-powered car. I had been more accustomed to turbine-smooth BMWs. So, was just a little apprehensive when I heard the Jaguar's gurgling diesel engine. I soon got over that. Being a turbo diesel, it doesn't have the immediate responsiveness of a petrol engine. I soon adjusted so that too. The 8-speed ZF transmission is siky smooth. There are override paddles on the steering wheel which I've never needed to use. On winding country roads, its handling with Pirelli P7 tyres is competently reassuring. The fact that its braking effort is first directed to the back wheels ensures stability under hard braking. That's also reassuring. On a flat highway, cruising at 110 km/h, fuel consumption is as low as 4.3 l/100 km. On winding and hilly roads, it's typically 5.3 l/100 km. Not too bad for a car with an unladen weight of 1,735 kg. The XF has been totally reliable in the 55,000 km that I've driven it, mostly on longer trips. It is a superb cruising car. With 87,000 on the clock, it's running sweetly. Some mates have said that I should trade it in and acquire a newer model. Why would I whenI love what I have? What more could I want? A low km Jaguar XF with a a larger turbo diesel? That's unlikely. If I should ever part with this Jag XF, I won't be climbing into a Jaguar E-Pace or ay other EV. My gratuitous recommendaion to Jag's current owners, Sata, is to develop a hybrid. The enjoyment of having a beautiful cruising car should not be compromised by the limited availability of battery charging stations.

Having purchased this car 2 months ago I am absolutely impressed. I was looking to buy a hybrid Camry for fuel savings when my boss suggested I look into the XF Jaguar diesel. (he has one) I of course laughed. as if I could afford a Jag! however I looked into it and they run a 5.4 ltr per 100 km return and along with the looks the price tag of a 2012 model makes them worthy of investigation. I said to my boss "but the servicing will kill the affordability" he said yes ,the last service cost over $800. excellent I thought. I am off the hook and can't afford a Jag. then he said but the service interval is 24,000km!!!!! So I found and bought a British Racing Green metallic 2012 XF Premium. And what a car it is! I have never had so many people comment on a car I have owned! The ride is as one would expect from a Jaguar. precise, powerful, dynamic and yet ridiculously frugal when it comes to how much fuel it consumes! The leather seats , the sat nav, the wood grain dash and typical Jaguar touches are way above what the expectations I had. sitting on 100kmph is a trifle difficult but the cruise control sorts that out extremely well. The 8 speed automatic transmission is silky smooth. the addition of flappy paddles allows for some fun gear changes along with the ability to quickly revert back to fully automatic with the simple press of one of the paddles. I have driven this car from the Gold Coast to Tooowoomba and to Hervey Bay and I have to admit it it THE nicest car I have driven. )and I have driven a LOT of cars!) what gets me the most is the admiration. I had to pick up my In Laws at Coolangatta Airport just after picking up my Jag. When I came back to the xar there was a random guy standing at the back of my car starring, as I approached he said "I just love your car" I said thanks but I was looking at a red one and he said "no, this is the perfect colour". so I was pretty chuffed about that! and have been ever since!

I had been driving the same Nissan Pulsar for 16 years since I left Uni and then started working and completing post grad studies that would bore any normal human to death. After receiving a few promotions my wife convinced me that it was finally time to upgrade my car. I had originally started looking at a Subaru Liberty. It seemed like the sensible choice. The Mrs had other ideas, all her life she wanted a Jag as a symbol that she had finally made it in life (or married the right guy). As much as I love my wife I was not going to buy a car without completing adequate research. I was pleased to find out: • Ford owned Jaguar at the time the car was made and invested heavily into updating the tired old factory and improving reliability, • It was designed by Ian Callum who designed a few other masterpieces like the DB9, Vantage, F Type and F Pace. • The gearbox is a ZF eight speed. Enough said. • The engine originally came from the Ford parts bin after many years of reliable service. Jaguar took the engine and modified it with a focus on retaining reliability while improving performance. Job done. Love at first sight As mentioned above, this car purchase came with a fair bit of emotion and hesitation. Now that I have had it for a few years I am even more in love with it that the first day I set eyes on it (does that sound right its just a hunk of gorgeous metal and sumptuous leather after all?). I did the test drive with a friend who was used to Merc’s. His first impression was ‘wow! That is really nice’. I drove it for the firs time with my heart in my mouth and after two minutes I was enamoured. Daily Driving I do a 40 klms round trip to work and back in a mix of open road and grinding traffic. The car has held up just fine. Its difficult to avoid the temptation of giving it a little because 60 klms feels so slow in this thing. I love the way it sits flat in corners and grips to the road on Bridgestone Potenza RE003 Adrenaline tyres. There are two driving modes of Drive and Sport. In regular drive mode the suspension is supple and suited to busy pock marked roads. Changing over to Sport mode angries up the blood and the transmission holds onto revs before changing gears. The suspension is firmer and steering more direct. It feels like having one car with two personalities. One is a mild-mannered accountant and the other is a mild-mannered accountant at tax time. There are moments when I wish it had more power because it can certainly handle a lot more than the 2.2 litre delivers. Given the insanity of Sydney speed rules I would have certainly lost my licence if I did have the larger engine. Servicing I get a yearly service from my local mechanic for $300 every 8-9 months. Nothing has gone wrong with it since. He does tell me how enjoyed driving it around to make sure it ‘felt right’ after the service. I don’t mind this at all and let people drive the car to experience the same joy I feel. Conclusion As you can tell, I work in a field where decisions are made using the head and not the heart, buying a car from a maker with questionable reliability made no sense at all. My friends, family and colleagues were all gobsmacked when I rocked up in a Jag. Over the years I have been telling them how wonderful the car is and show copies of service bills as evidence of how far Jaguar have come in terms of quality and reliability. If I won lotto tomorrow I would buy a 2012 Jag XJ with the 3-litre diesel for the daily grind and a brand-new F Type with a petrol V8 for weekends. Disclosure: Contrary to popular stereo types of Jag drivers I am under 50 years of age and do not smoke a pipe while lounging in a leather chair or wear sports coats with elbow patches.

I haven't had my jag long, so servicing of car will be a was away. The overall quality of the car has been improved to be world class standard. Just driving the jaguar is fluid,tight, no body roll, quite and lots of fun. Being over fifty it has brought me back to my youth, as I now have the sports car I've always dreamed of owning ( it hasn't disappointed me). The jaguar dealers In Sydney Australia I went to, Alto and Concord were outstanding. I only wish I could have bought my jag from them both. (Maybe an XE for my wife). The xf is a drivers car the sport paddle shifting to brilliant corning. The sunroof is a little noisy ( maybe a warranty to realign closure). So far my fuel economy is 5.4, mind you I live in the country out side of Sydney. Good roads to drive on. The 2.2 diesel power plant is great above 2000 rpm, it has great exhaust note the acceleration is a lot of fun in sport mode. The climate control is great, but having some problems with global opening that needs to be looked at, the eco function doesn't work if you are listening to the sound system loud or above half volume. The interior screams British, the leather seating, dash and door trims, oh the wood. Burr walnut on the dash, console and door panel is just perfect. The wait has been a long time but I got here, Would I buy another jaguar xf....................absolutely yes.