Jaguar

Jaguar's pioneering I-Pace has more competition than ever. Can this 294kW British EV still tango?

We take out Jaguar's supercharged V8 performance F-Pace SUV for a week to see it works as a large family car.

If the F-Type is to be sent off in fine style, then the raucous R-Dynamic P450 RWD would seem to be the fitting farewell

We take a look at the 2022 Jaguar F-Pace SUV, in particular the 2022 Jaguar F-Pace R-Dynamic SE P250, to see why it's the best in class.

The Jaguar I-Pace luxury electric SUV has gained a mild update to see it through its last years in showrooms.

Here's everything coming to Australian showrooms in 2023 and beyond.

Tesla continued its dominance of Australia's electric-vehicle market in 2022, but there were some big surprises from little-known brands.

Luxury-car sales in Australia hit reverse in 2022, with the lowest results in up to 10 years.

With the 2022 FIFA World Cup in full swing, here's how the finalists shape up in terms of car manufacturing.

Warranties are an important factor when making a new car purchase, so we've ranked each manufacturer from shortest to longest.

What did a boy growing up in 1950s England want? He wanted his team to win the FA Cup and he wanted to own a Jag.Owner: Alan Whittaker

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.

I’ve never felt as if Jaguar really made themselves prominent in Australia. Until recently, the large saloon market has been saturated with domestic offerings from now fallen Ford, Holden, as well as Toyota. As a result, Jaguars or ‘Jaaags’ have maintained a sophistication and elegance that maybe had worn off on its English nationals. They tend to stand out amongst the Calais and Statesmen in terms of refinement and use of luxury materials and separates themselves from the likes of BMW and Audi in their obscurity in Australia. This example, in particular, weighs heavily on the latter. This 2003 S-Type came as quite a shock. Parked at the friend’s farm up in northern Queensland, I was introduced to it without the benefit of context. Parked in the sheds next to the old boat, it appeared healthier and cleaner than all the machinery surrounding it. This was clearly no attempt at a humorous beater car. In the end, I was filled in. It was our friend’s recently acquired birthday present, replacing, funnily enough, a Statesman. The thing is with Queenslanders, they tend to be much nicer than the average Sydneysider, so you can imagine my joy when I was thrown the keys and told to give it a spin. It would certainly be the first ‘luxury’ sedan I had put myself behind the (auto-leveling and retracting) wheel of. The experience of getting the 2.5L V6 up to speed is uncanny in its similarity to a CVT. If you didn’t know, you’d have thought it’s electric, not in its ferocity of acceleration, but the way in which power is delivered in absolutely delightful whoomphs that ease you up to speed. So easy in fact that one may be so fooled by the creamy acceleration, they may misinterpret the car’s British MPH as KPH, making what should have been a 100KPH cruise into quite the extended drag race against the laws of wind resistance. A war that the Jag would have won if it had happened, which it didn’t, obviously. The car feels heavy on the road, yet capable. The steering felt as if it had rolled off the production line that morning, reacting well under stress and delivering pleasing feedback under power. By no means were the words ‘power’ or ‘performance’ rolling around in my head at any point. It’s a product of cruise control and center lane relaxation. The seats eat you up like a welcoming friend and a wooden steering wheel piece will be classy as long as humans are allowed to wield them before Elon take over our commutes. In saying that, allow me to compare this early 000’s Jaguar to a 2021 Tesla Model S. Potentially the strangest comparison you’re likely to read today but hear me out. Having jumped into a 2021 Tesla for a test drive recently, one can assure you that driving is not the primary objective. For my younger brother, finding the setting to make it seem as if I had farted via the car’s stereo was priority number one. Hilarious. Then we decided if we wanted to utilize ‘Ludacris mode’ or not. Do we want to watch Netflix on the big screen? Alright, find the login. How should we like the regenerative braking today? Normal or ‘relaxed’? Shall we pretend we’re astronauts and put the GPS on Mars? Now, I’m young and was born into this kind of technology, but I believe that the purity of driving is something to be preserved. And by no means does a Tesla take away that experience, it just seems to dilute it behind what appears to be an oversized iPad. The Jag is the polar opposite of this. Everything you do, everything you feel is mechanical and true. The driver is in control, the car sending reminders that you are, in fact, behind the wheel of a car.

After much deliberating between the XE and Audi A6, I opted for it due to style and compactness. Prior to making my decision, I tested two versions: 25t and 20d. The 25t petrol definitely provided more 'oomph' and less lag, but diesel seemed like a frugal choice given the high mileage commuting required by my work. Nevertheless, 20d, is not a slug and its powers feels sufficient. The styling of the XE instantly captures attention. Since the release of the model in 2015, I have desired for one. The only criticism I could give is that there are too many 'Jaguar' logos with the leaper on the body and and around the cabin. The boot lid should be a bit less lanky given that this is a luxury vehicle. Also, the boot space is a limiting factor - do not expect much room. The most pleasant surprise, on the other hand, is the great paint quality. Moving into the cabin, the XE received criticism regarding the lack of latest tech compared to what was available at the time. Not from me, though - I really enjoy the simplicity and the feel of the materials used, particularly the leather seats. The wrap-around presentation of the cabin is phenomenal and it overall feels quite comfortable for a stylish mobile office. The USB port and 12V are, for some reason, located the centre console and thus not easily accessible. The entertainment unit connects easily and can have two devices connected at time. I found it particularly convenient that the user can, for example, stream music from one device, and use the other one for phone calls. Moreover, once the car comes to a full stop, the unit has a feature available to both read and send SMS. Having picked diesel due to perceived frugality, my fingers were crossed that it will perform accordingly - and it delivered. Despite not being able to always emulate, the claimed 4.2l/100km/h (which JLR revised later in 2018), I managed to achieve 5-5.5l regularly. However, it must be noted that I drive almost exclusively in 'Dynamic' mode with 'Stop/Start' feature off. On a highway, expect the economy to be around 3l/100km/h. Reverting back to the driving mode, the only fraction of exhilaration can be achieved in 'Dynamic'. Otherwise, it is just a cruiser. The 8-speed auto is quite smooth, always finds the right gear, and some people would not think it's a diesel from inside the cabin. At almost 70,000km, the car has been quite reliable. There were some minor software issues rectified during the service. By the way, the service intervals are every 2 years or 34,000kms, and the cost is, at worst, $900 - pretty solid for a luxury brand. Note, though, that it drinks a lot of AdBlue, so expect to refill it several times before scheduled service. Safety features are quite responsive and adequate for a luxury car. Forward Collision Warning and Adaptive Cuise Control would also be appropriate additions; however, JLR made a brand out of their perception of what constitutes an 'option' as opposed to what should be standard fitment. Luckily, I bought a well-built demo and the automotive luxuries, such as collapsible back seats were included in the vehicle. Otherwise, I may not have been able to fit anything larger than a medium-sized suitcase in it. Upon learning how fortunate I was, I even wondered about the cup holders. My sarcasm aside, Jaguar really need to address this practice along with the dispositions of their dealers, particularly because they have a great lineup of cars at the moment and yet are not occupying the share of the market accordingly. If this were a 25t, it'd make an even more exciting car and I would give it a higher score. However, despite that, it fits my circumstances really well, it is an absolute pleasure to drive and I wish to keep it for the years to come.