2016 Jaguar XF India review, test drive

What is it like to drive?

Jaguar has launched the XF in India with two engine options. The new four-cylinder, 2.0-litre diesel engine, part of Jaguar Land Rover’s latest Ingenium engine family, is of particular importance because it will eventually replace the old 2.2 unit across JLR’s India range. Also, its 1999cc displacement crucially keeps the XF out of the purview of any possible ban on the sale of cars with diesel engines of 2000cc and above.

Judged against JLR’s old diesel engine, the Ingenium unit immediately feels like an improvement, especially when talking refinement. It’s quieter and more refined, though still not class-leadingly so. You can hear a clatter at idle and the engine booms and sounds quite coarse when pushed. However, at typical mild throttle speeds, engine noise levels are more than acceptable. In town, the 180hp engine does come across as strong with the 8-speed gearbox chipping in by keeping revs above 2000rpm when you need immediate power. There are four driving modes to choose from, namely Rain, Eco, Normal and Dynamic, each with its own engine, gearbox and steering setup. Normal works well enough but Dynamic makes the powertrain feel at its alertest best. Flooring the throttle has the diesel XF pick up pace smartly and, though the engine may not rev as quickly as a similar-displacement BMW or Audi, it does, again, feel strong. You can rev the engine to 4900rpm or so (in manual mode), but best progress is made between 2000rpm and 4200rpm. We recorded a 0-100kph time of 9.04 seconds (see performance chart), which makes the XF slower than rivals but the truth is, from behind the wheel, it doesn’t feel so.

For those looking for performance, the other engine of choice will be of greater interest. It’s the familiar four-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit that already does duty in many of JLR’s other models offered on the XF in the higher of its two states of tune. Read 240hp and 340Nm. That’s a near 60hp jump over the petrol versions of the A6, 5-series and E-Class, and straight off the bat, the XF feels a lot faster. The 0-100kph comes up in 7.62 seconds compared to the 520i’s 8.63 and it’s significantly quicker in roll-on acceleration too.

Flat-out performance is strong, and what makes the engine exciting is that there’s plenty of power in the upper reaches of the rev band. Flooring the throttle has the eight-speed automatic gearbox jump down as many ratios as needed to get to the meat of the powerband. However, when you do so, you can tell the gearbox isn’t the fastest eight-speeder around and there is a pause between command and execution. The paddle-shifters do help work around this issue and what is also great is that the electronics let you hold gear at the 6500rpm limiter in the gearbox’s S mode. Driven hard, the XF’s petrol engine sounds quite nice as four-cylinder units go with a racy snarl, giving a fitting soundtrack for the last 2000rpm of the rev range. Unfortunately, the petrol engine is not particularly quiet when you want it to be. It’s audible at idle and grumbles at middle revs. Once again, the gearbox tends to fumble at times when you need a quick dose of power.

Where both versions of the XF shine is on the twisties. True to its name, the Dynamic mode adds the requisite dynamism to the rear-wheel drive XF, with the beautifully fluid electric power steering just weighing up by the right amount. In the corners, the XF feels like a big car but gives an immense sense of control with a sharp turn-in and neat handling. Body movements are well contained too. So, is this the sportiest of the large luxury sedans? It might just be.

In more everyday driving conditions, the XF has its strengths and weaknesses. The ride quality is largely impressive, with the Jag feeling nice and tied down at cruising speeds and absorbent enough in town. There is that European car firmness to the low-speed ride, but that’s a trait common to all cars of this segment. We didn’t have an issue with ground clearance either, but did find the suspension to thud on oversized speedbreakers, pointing to a harsh rebound. There is also more road noise than you’d expect. The XF does feel like a large car in town, but the steering effort is well judged.