Facelift (What's New)
10.2-inch Touch Pro infotainment system with Apple CarPlay connectivity
Interior is enhanced with Suedecloth headliner and illuminated door sills
More power - the 2.0-litre turbocharged ingenium engine now makes 247bhp and 365Nm of torque
The Jaguar XF was the car that changed the way we perceived the British marque to be, and executive sedans in general.
For once, there wasn't a prancing Jag on the hood, instead it became a badge. Gone were the more traditional looks of the S-Type and X-Type. And having a rising gear selector and rotating air-con vents 10 years ago were pretty astonishing features that attracted many oohs and aahs.
The Jaguar XF did prove a point to the world with its looks and features when it was first launchedBut its 2019 now - almost 12 years since the first generation was introduced. This second generation, introduced in 2015 keeps all the qualities the XF is known for - but there's certainly some tidying up that this this big cat has to do.
And tidy up they did. Here is the XF's refresh for 2019.
Wait, so it's the same car?
The XF's classic design is still in for this facelift. While the first generation was revolutionary, we find this generation more of an extension of the car's contemporary looks. Its slim, sweeping head and tail lights, coupled with its short overhangs are all still in. The age old saying of "if it ain’t broke, don't fix it" works perfectly here.
R-Sport trim gives you sharper and sportier-looking front bumpersFor those more well-versed with these big cats, you may spot some slight differences on the outside. That's the R-Sport trim at work. It gives the XF slightly more aggressive looking front bumpers with bigger air intakes, and new 18-inch rims.
The rest of the changes are on the inside. The XF now comes with a 10.2-inch Touch Pro infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, paired to an 11-speaker 380W Meridian Sound System.
Putting it all to good use
The new infotainment system is a welcome gesture. It is easy to use, with a smooth and fluid user interface that is customisable to a certain degree - you can have your music and GPS displayed side-by-side, if you wish.
The infotainment system is faultless, and is smooth and easy to useWith it, the quintessential XF things are still in, like the rising gear selector. There are two rotating air-con vents instead of all four like the previous generation, to make space for the larger infotainment system.
The part which does show the car's age despite its facelift is the digital climate control display, which seems like something that should've just been displayed on the big infotainment system instead.
Still, the interior is sportily decked out, with its predominantly black leather interior with red highlights. It makes this cat feel like it has more spirited abilities than just being a comfortable, luxurious saloon car.
For once, there wasn't a prancing Jag on the hood, instead it became a badge. Gone were the more traditional looks of the S-Type and X-Type. And having a rising gear selector and rotating air-con vents 10 years ago were pretty astonishing features that attracted many oohs and aahs.
And tidy up they did. Here is the XF's refresh for 2019.
Wait, so it's the same car?
The XF's classic design is still in for this facelift. While the first generation was revolutionary, we find this generation more of an extension of the car's contemporary looks. Its slim, sweeping head and tail lights, coupled with its short overhangs are all still in. The age old saying of "if it ain’t broke, don't fix it" works perfectly here.
The rest of the changes are on the inside. The XF now comes with a 10.2-inch Touch Pro infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, paired to an 11-speaker 380W Meridian Sound System.
Putting it all to good use
The new infotainment system is a welcome gesture. It is easy to use, with a smooth and fluid user interface that is customisable to a certain degree - you can have your music and GPS displayed side-by-side, if you wish.
The part which does show the car's age despite its facelift is the digital climate control display, which seems like something that should've just been displayed on the big infotainment system instead.
Still, the interior is sportily decked out, with its predominantly black leather interior with red highlights. It makes this cat feel like it has more spirited abilities than just being a comfortable, luxurious saloon car.
The cat can pounce
It isn't just infotainment stuff that's updated in the XF. More importantly, Jaguar has updated the power department. The 2.0-litre Ingenium lump up front now makes 247bhp and 365Nm of torque to the rear wheels, giving this cat the ability to do the century sprint in 6.7 seconds.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged Ingenium lump now puts out 247bhp and 365Nm of torqueMarried with the ZF derived eight-speed automatic transmission, this Jaguar can certainly put power down as expected from an executive saloon car. It is a smooth operator, but does need some coaxing when you need to pull a fast overtake.
For such situations, it is better to flick the gear selector to Sport before you do.
The classy rising gear selector is still here, and makes shifting through gears or flicking it to Sport a seamless affairThis Jag doesn't have any electronically adjustable damper settings like the rest of the competition. Despite this, the XF's well-tuned chassis and suspension setup give it impressive corner carving abilities.
Spiritedness aside, the XF still manages to hold itself well in normal driving situations. It remains to be very comfortable, with a suspension that's compliant with handling bumps and other road undulations without a hitch.
This cat stands tall
The Jaguar XF is one important car to us. For once, most of these luxury touches were never seen in cars of this class before.
With the advent of executive sedan buyers switching to crossovers and SUVs, the XF proves to still be a well-packaged offeringWhen it comes down to it, the XF is a tried and tested recipe that works. With this facelift, it brings the XF to a level that can compete with its fellow European competitors.
And while the F-PACE and E-PACE have certainly moved with the times with everyone's new appetite for SUVs and crossovers, the XF is indeed a breath of fresh air.
Trust us, you wouldn't want to mess with this big cat, simply because its got sharper claws now.
It isn't just infotainment stuff that's updated in the XF. More importantly, Jaguar has updated the power department. The 2.0-litre Ingenium lump up front now makes 247bhp and 365Nm of torque to the rear wheels, giving this cat the ability to do the century sprint in 6.7 seconds.
For such situations, it is better to flick the gear selector to Sport before you do.
Spiritedness aside, the XF still manages to hold itself well in normal driving situations. It remains to be very comfortable, with a suspension that's compliant with handling bumps and other road undulations without a hitch.
This cat stands tall
The Jaguar XF is one important car to us. For once, most of these luxury touches were never seen in cars of this class before.
And while the F-PACE and E-PACE have certainly moved with the times with everyone's new appetite for SUVs and crossovers, the XF is indeed a breath of fresh air.
Trust us, you wouldn't want to mess with this big cat, simply because its got sharper claws now.
