Rebirth of the classic / Jaguar test drives

After just a couple of minutes behind the wheel of the Jaguar, I realized that a peaceful life during the test drive days was not in store for me. The glances of everyone around seemed to be fixed on me. And I understood how exotic fish in an aquarium must feel (if they had any sense) or how Andersen's naked king felt. But, of course, it wasn't my modest person that made everyone crane their necks. People liked my "kitty." A wonderful, emerald green "kitty." No, this definition is not a consequence of an acid party. People who turned around as the XF sped past will understand me – it's about a very beautiful, delightfully shimmering color in the sun, vaguely reminiscent of the legendary British racing green.

Parking the car near the editorial office, I sometimes leaned out the window and saw that the madness continued. Several people constantly walked around the car, examining it with undisguised curiosity, studying it, and peering through the glass inside. Going out into the street once again to poison myself with the usual amount of nicotine, I found a couple of boys near the XF, one of whom, not quite understanding what kind of strange car was in front of him, made various guesses. To which the second, apparently more knowledgeable in this matter, replied: "What are you talking about! It's a 'Jaguar', you dummy!"

I stand, watching these kids, and think to myself: "But is it a Jaguar?" (At this point, another portion of readers will consider me not quite of sound mind, but there is meaning in my words.) Is it beautiful? For most – undoubtedly, yes. Primly English? Perhaps, that too. Solid? And how! Compared to the previous S-Type, its successor has grown significantly in size. Elegant? Without a doubt! Just look at the heavily raked front and rear windows, the stylish hood with stamping, and the magnificent rear with a chrome strip stretched across the entire width bearing the Jaguar inscription. But something is still not right.

The pedigree is no longer as evident as before. The heir to the glorious Mk models is hard to discern. The thought that true English values in design have been lost constantly stirs somewhere deep in the subconscious. Where is the classic "four-eyed" lighting, where is the obligatory sloping trunk? They are not there. And those who remember the legendary XK and XJS models of past generations cannot help but be upset by this.

But one cannot deny the absurdity of the talk that Jaguar should remain a "Jaguar." In the modern automotive world, this is impossible, whether we want it or not. The British, working on the creation of the XF, understood this perfectly. They also understood that you can't get far on brand traditions alone, and that something more is needed to increase sales. The C-XF concept car, presented at last year's Detroit Auto Show, showed that the new Jaguar would be different. And thousands of people around the world held their breath in anticipation of the production sedan. Brand fans waited for the start of sales hoping that the XF would still turn out to be more similar to its classic models. The rest, understanding that there would be no return to the past, awaited a 21st-century Jaguar – original and high-tech. And, as we see, it was their hopes that were justified.

It must be admitted: despite the fact that in the appearance of the modern Jaguar one can hardly discern an English car, it cannot be called ordinary. The low-slung silhouette combined with some stunning design solutions – air intakes on the front fenders, powerful "haunches," original lighting, and stampings on the sides – attracts glances like a magnet. The car truly resembles a cat poised to pounce, tense and collected. Once again, I run my eyes over the smooth surfaces of the XF and realize that perhaps in fifty years, this car too will be spoken of as a representative of the "classic English school." Everything flows, everything changes.

The interior of the Jaguar XF may not be as cozy as that of the company's previous models. It captivates with something else: filigree build quality and a number of innovative solutions. The seats, in which you find a comfortable position from the first try, are upholstered in magnificent light leather. The top of the dashboard and the steering wheel are also trimmed in leather, but dark brown. The stitching is perfect. Wood and metal trim – everywhere appropriate and leaving no doubt about its "authenticity." The climate control and window lift control units borrowed from Ford somewhat fall out of the luxurious setting, but given the "cosmic" blue backlighting, you don't even remember that. In the dark, this neon glow is truly mesmerizing!

I press the engine start button, and simultaneously with the familiar 4.2-liter "V8" coming to life under the hood with a rich growl, two things happen in the cabin that bring a childish smile of delight to my face: a rotating cylinder rises from the central tunnel, which is used to select the operating mode of the 6-speed "automatic," and, turning around its own axis, the ventilation deflectors appear, which were previously "disguised" as metal trim on the dashboard. Neither of these had ever been seen on any production car before. Most original solutions! Although, of course, they cost extra money and are potentially fraught with additional malfunctions.

In motion, the Jaguar is incredibly comfortable. The suspension with adaptive CATS dampers calmly, without fuss, absorbs bumps, barely disturbing the passengers. Again, like a cat softly stepping on its paws. Perhaps even the E-Class and 5 Series, which the XF is meant to fight, are no match for it here. As speed increases, I notice that the volume of the Bowers & Wilkins audio system (not "some kind of" Bose!) does not increase. And that's not needed! Silence in the cabin at any speed is deathly. Only the voice of the engine and the baritone of a well-tuned exhaust at high revs slightly breaks through – just enough not to forget about the 300 horsepower, no more. And from the outside, this sound simply stirs the blood! Here the pedigree hasn't gone anywhere – this is a Jaguar!

I drive out onto a familiar wide Moscow-region highway with one thought: was the whole point just to create another comfortable cruiser? Will the XF really lose to its competitors in handling and speed? I move the lever... no, I turn (I don't know how to say it in Russian, but in English there's a wonderful word jog) this very jog of the automatic transmission to position S, and the "cat" turns feral! Reactions to the throttle become much sharper, the suspension tightens up, the gearbox makes the engine rev to the very "top" and holds the gear until the last moment. A wonderful "automatic." The paddle shifters are a useless toy for homegrown "Schumachers." The XF rushes forward. The acceleration to the second "hundred" is almost as swift as to the first. You don't have time to blink, and the speedometer already shows over 200 km/h.

The steering wheel during high-speed maneuvers is filled with a pleasant, informative heaviness. Perhaps it can be said that in handling, the XF is not much inferior to the XK coupe, if at all. Twenty kilometers of highway flew by unnoticed. I turn around on the "butterfly" of the interchange, noting quite small body rolls and excellent balance of the car, and return to the city. Speed around 180 km/h – cruising. It feels like you're leisurely rolling at 100–120. In the cabin, it's the same silence and calm. But with every maneuver or overtaking, the "cat" tenses its muscles and again rushes forward predatorily, devouring kilometer after kilometer. Wow! Excellent!! And this is the XF version with a regular, not the more than 400-horsepower turbocharged engine!!!

It seems to me that the defenders of "English classicism" are spitting in vain at the new Jaguar XF. Don't like the exterior? But classics must be reborn. Don't like the strange interior? But it is still beautifully tailored and, moreover, has acquired a lot of interesting, original, and perfectly executed "gadgets." Too few arguments. They are nothing, even compared to how magnificently the XF drives.

I'm not Nostradamus, of course, but I see such a future. Success awaits the XF. Moreover, many people who previously had no idea about Jaguar will buy it, not least for its modern and at the same time different-from-others design, for being the center of attention. And they will definitely not regret the purchase once they experience this car in motion. And those who are now rejecting the XF will understand that it was a real Jaguar when the next generation of the model appears. It has always been this way, and it will be so in the future...