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2016 Jaguar XFL Spied Ahead of Beijing Motor Show Debut

The year was 2007 and Jaguar was at a turning point. Had it continued production of the S-Type, Jaguar would have bid farewell to its ambitions in the mid-size segment. Instead of facelifting the dreary S-Type, Jaguar had released the XF to much acclaim.
2016 Jaguar XFL 3 photos
Photo: autohome.com.cn
2016 Jaguar XFL2016 Jaguar XFL
But then 2015 came and the XF had to be replaced by a second generation. This time around, Jaguar had severed all the ties the first-gen XF had with Ford, and boy does this thing look and perform great. The thing is, there’s a country called the People’s Republic of China which is mad about long wheelbase versions of mid-size sedans. And so, one year after the launch of the second-generation XF, the British company is preparing to launch the XFL in the Middle Kingdom.

The carparazzi over at AutoHome spied the thing out in the open, wearing zebra-like camouflage. However, the camouflage doesn’t matter because it is easy to tell that this is a long wheelbase model, not a regular XF as the one sold in the U.S. and Europe. As far as the cabin is concerned, there is no notable difference between the XF and the China-only XFL except for more legroom for the rear passengers.

On the outside, there’s no denying the Jaguar XFL features an elongated glasshouse and larger rear doors. Compared to the circular exhaust tips employed by the regular XF, the XFL has a rear bumper that houses two trapezoidal exhaust tips. This is a rather curious development, considering that not even the Jaguar XF S has trapezoidal tips.

There is no information available on whether Jaguar will sell the long wheelbase model in other countries except for China. I’m not holding my breath either because nor do Audi and BMW with the China-only extended wheelbase A6 and 5 Series. As for powertrain options, the 2016 Jaguar XFL will be offered with a familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and the 380 horsepower 3.0-liter supercharged V6 of the range-topping Jaguar XF S.

Look forward to the debut of the Jaguar XFL at the end of April, at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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