Photo: SB-Medien
Jaguar owes a lot to the current XF, with the mid-size premium sedan basically being the one that help rebuild the Ford era-affected image of the big cat brand. The Brits are keen to maintain this advantage, so they are currently working overtime to complete the development of the second-generation XF.
The car has been recently spotted stretching its legs on the Nurburgring and there’s plenty of stuff to talk about here. First of all, the engineers have a lot to test, as the next XF will be underpinned by Jaguar’s new iQ[Al] aluminum platform. We’ve already seen the architecture under the Jaguar XE at the Paris Motor Show, while this will also be used by the future Jaguar crossover, tentatively named XQ (take a look at the C-X17 Concept for inspiration).
The new platform will bring benefits on both the weight and rigidity fronts, but the task here is pretty difficult. People expect plenty of comfort from such a car, but, being a Jag, the XF must also provide a certain bouquet of driving assets.
As for what will cover the tech side, you can peer through the heavy camouflage on the test car - notice that the greenhouse seems to go closer to what the XJ flagship offers rather than follow the line of the XE. Still, you can turn to the XE’s design details, such as its front fascia, in order to get an idea of what the XF will offer.
At the top of the range, we’ll find yet another supercharger, working with a V8 to power the XFR. In what has already become a Jaguar tradition, we’ll also receive at least one extra hot version.
A hybrid model is also in the works, while the AWD, a feature introduced on the current model, is obviously here to stay.
Jaguar has quite a challenge on its hands right now. One one side, people regard the brand as a somewhat superior proposal and this super-premium aura is nice, but the company needs to sell more and when it comes to battling the Germans, the aforementioned image works against it.
The new platform will bring benefits on both the weight and rigidity fronts, but the task here is pretty difficult. People expect plenty of comfort from such a car, but, being a Jag, the XF must also provide a certain bouquet of driving assets.
As for what will cover the tech side, you can peer through the heavy camouflage on the test car - notice that the greenhouse seems to go closer to what the XJ flagship offers rather than follow the line of the XE. Still, you can turn to the XE’s design details, such as its front fascia, in order to get an idea of what the XF will offer.
The cat’s muscle
At the base of the range, we’ll find four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines from the just-launched Jaguar Land Rover Ingenium family. Climbing higher, we’ll probably find the F-Type’s supercharged V6 - the charger makes sure the Jaguar character is here, but it’s not as efficient as the turbos used by German rivals.At the top of the range, we’ll find yet another supercharger, working with a V8 to power the XFR. In what has already become a Jaguar tradition, we’ll also receive at least one extra hot version.
A hybrid model is also in the works, while the AWD, a feature introduced on the current model, is obviously here to stay.
The big picture
The current incarnation of the mid-size cat came to the world in 2009, while the 2012 and 2013 model years saw the car receive serious upgrades. The work on the next one is in an advanced stage, which means the new XF should be launched late next year or in early 2016.Jaguar has quite a challenge on its hands right now. One one side, people regard the brand as a somewhat superior proposal and this super-premium aura is nice, but the company needs to sell more and when it comes to battling the Germans, the aforementioned image works against it.
Google News