Jaguar XF: Xtra Fitness

Xtra Fitness — that's the association that comes to mind when you first get acquainted with the newest Jaguar XF. Fitness is a relatively new hobby of successful and ambitious business people, which should take the owner of a toned body and excellent health to a new level of life. "Only forward and no stops" — that's the motto of these energetic individuals.

It was in this conceptual vein that the newcomer from the "feline" family — the Jaguar XF was created. A company going through hard times desperately needed a car capable of radically changing the perception of a brand previously known as a maker of excellent exhibits for car gourmets.

And, looking ahead, let's be honest: this triumphant leap into the mainstream worked out for the team that created the XF in just 3 years!

We won't reinvent the wheel and will state the obvious: first impressions are formed by appearance, and it's often design that becomes the decisive argument when buying.

Yes, Ian Callum (Jaguar's chief designer, who previously headed design at Aston Martin) did a great job. It was his hand that began the destruction of stereotypes about Jaguar.

It's worth noting that his first work in the new position was the Jaguar XK coupe. And it was the combination of the XK sports coupe and the predecessor of the XF — the S-Type — that made it possible to create this miracle in such a short time. Visually, the new model clearly echoes the XK coupe. The XF's body has an impeccable graceful curve and an elegant "coupe-like overhang" at the rear, which is currently gaining wild popularity. Walking around the car to the back to confirm the revolutionary nature of the creators' idea, you understand: Ian Callum definitely knows how to make a "pumped-up rear." Just recall the Aston Martin DB9. And here the trick worked again. Even in a parking lot, the XF's rear looks swift, as if you're seeing not a stationary car but one speeding off toward the horizon. Following the dynamic lines of the steel body with your gaze, which also boasts one of the best aerodynamic coefficients in its class (Cd 0.29), we move to the front. It's here that the kinship with the XK coupe is especially felt. And, in our opinion, it's in this area that Ian Callum relaxed a bit. Paired with the undeniably dynamic and aggressive hood with a sculpted V-shaped structure, the overly wide-open "eyes" of the front optics, lacking the predatory squint that the C-XF prototype had, look helpless...

But overall, the effect is achieved. A toned, muscular body, eager to fight for leadership in the business sedan class, where Aryan calm has long reigned.

We've dealt with the relief and muscles, now it's time to "look into the soul," that is, into the interior, on the development of which went almost the majority of the funds allocated for creating the model. The task facing Alister Whelan, the "captain" of the XF's interior, was not an easy one. It was necessary to bring to market something that no manufacturer offers, without losing the main thing — the "premium" atmosphere of Jaguar. Settling into the most comfortable seat with first-class leather, a driver of any build will easily find a comfortable position thanks to the many adjustments. Moreover, you can even adjust the microclimate between the "throne's" cushions and your own body using several seat heating and ventilation modes.

You'll say that such "know-how" won't surprise anyone in the modern auto industry, and you'll be right. The tale of non-technological ecstasy will begin a bit later. Settled in and looked around. Unlike its predecessor, the S-Type, which seemed spacious but actually had rather modest "living" dimensions, the XF gives maximum free space for the owner's convenience. To make the already spacious interior more airy, Whelan's team lowered the edge of the central panel closest to the front occupants by almost 12 cm, giving it a pleasant sloping silhouette. And the central console separating the driver and front passenger, on the contrary, was raised to create a feeling of a monolithic, cozy, slightly sporty cockpit.

We slam the door, and here it is, "IT'S ALIVE!" — the uncompromising machine of technological progress and the engineering and design thought of its creators. On the central tunnel, where we looked for the automatic transmission selector lever but found only a polished round knob recessed into the panel, a blood-red button for starting and stopping the engine began to pulse, imitating a leisurely heart rhythm. Rumor has it that Apple participated in the interior development — that's exactly how the power button on MAC computers pulses. Or maybe they just peeked?

From contemplating this performance to pressing the button, we're separated by fractions of a second. We press it — and the car comes alive with some unnatural, as it seems, functionally inherent vibration throughout the body. Ah, that's it! The mystery of the polished round knob on the console is revealed. Before you even have time to remove your hand from the start button, you feel a light support for your palm from below. Lowering your eyes, you see a cool puck (cast from zinc) of the automatic transmission selector gracefully emerging from the tunnel. At the same instant, simultaneously with the fancy "lever" of the gearbox, the air vent deflectors come alive, elegantly rotating in their seats around their axis and opening the way for air flows.

All this is already enough to charm a potential buyer, but the developers acted with English precision — surely, having stuffed the interior to the brim, even with touch sensors controlling the ceiling lights. To turn on the light, you just need to bring your hand to the lamps. The same technology was applied to the glove box, placing a sensor on the decorative wooden facade crowning the dashboard. Unlike the lamps, opening it requires a more precise hit on the tiny sensor target to avoid unacceptable opening of the glove box, for example, while wiping dust. To create a special atmosphere, even the most affordable trims are equipped with a Bowers&Wilkins audio system, which can boast innovations such as a diamond dome tweeter and Kevlar diffusers.

Already in love? Then it's time to add a fly in the ointment to this sweet idyll, and its name is finishing materials. Unfortunately, along with the radical change in Jaguar's concept, their selection changed too. There's noticeably less leather and wood, but significantly more plastic — of various textures and qualities. But you can't accuse the creators of lying — everything here is honest: what looks like metal or wood is indeed that, and what looks like plastic is indeed plastic. Having slightly exaggerated the colors, I still want to return to a lighter tone and note that even the abundance of polymers in unexpected places doesn't spoil the overall impression of the stunning interior. And in its "rightful" place is a multifunctional display through which you can control all the car's systems. Only the most necessary "hot" buttons are placed on the central console — climate control and the audio system.

"A bloody sunset was descending on the city," and the light sensor instantly kicked in, delivering a knockout blow and completely erasing the previous impression of the interior. Now it's a completely different dimension that gently envelops you in a soft turquoise glow. Almost every element of the cabin received this divine radiance, reminiscent of backlit billboards in big metropolises. In a word — out of this world! The instruments also flashed turquoise, which, by the way, are hard to read during the day. So in daylight, it's better to drive with the headlights off.

The last and smallest part I'd like to devote to the driving qualities of the "Wild Cat." And for good reason: the XF is primarily a design project. There are no cutting-edge solutions in the platform or powertrain design here. The concept remains the same — classic rear-wheel drive and powerful V-shaped engines. Although modernized, the platform is inherited from the previous S-Type model, retaining the body's structural elements. The British claim that body rigidity has increased by 25%.

In our test, we had the 3.0-liter XF with 238 horsepower. This is the most modest engine in the entire Russian lineup (there's also a V8 4.2, and a supercharged V8 4.2), but it's by no means the slowest in city traffic. Working in tandem with the 6-speed ZF automatic, the engine delivers its full potential without noticeable pauses or dips, demonstrating excellent acceleration dynamics.

In the city at low speeds, the steering wheel, which feels overloaded at small steering angles, feels mushy and lacks feedback. But once you hit the highway, the car's responses to the steering wheel become sharper and more sensitive. And this is with the standard suspension. Perhaps the optional suspension with electronically controlled CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension) dampers would be more interesting, but that's a topic for a more detailed comparative test. The brakes are also impressive: the 3.0-liter XF comes with excellent braking systems with 326 mm diameter discs.

Putting all the facts together, it's clear that the "fitness" has definitely benefited the "Jaguar." With the arrival of the XF, the "Wild Cat" has become younger, and its coat shines again. It's simply impossible to pass by such a car in traffic, and minor flaws even add to its charm.

The only thing that raises doubts about the XF is not its technical characteristics, but the future — the fate of the new owner. How will India's Tata manage its acquisition? Can Jaguar survive without the strong financial and engineering support of the Ford concern? For now, the company's future raises more questions than answers. Although what does it matter when Jaguar already offers a beautiful and progressive car…

Dmitry Malygin