Overview Jaguar’s 5 Series and E-Class fighter is still struggling to gain an edge on its German competitors but is well-equipped for the battle
Pros Excellent AWD system, comely looks, warm interior
Cons Price due for a refresh
Value for money Very good for this segment
What would I change? I can’t wait for the aluminum version
How would I spec it? My pragmatic side says that this V6 version is the smart buy, but you see, I’ve driven the 550-hp XFR-S
Time, especially in our “on-demand” society, is an increasingly daunting foe. One minute you’re lining up at four in the morning for Apple’s new iPhone 6, the next you’re reading that the upgraded-with-better-video-and-photo-reproduction 6S is the hottest ticket in town. The decision now facing consumers of any product — ephemeral or enduring alike — is always the same; whether to fork over the dosh for the current latest and greatest or to wait — seemingly overnight — for the update that will render it yesterday’s news. Time may never have waited for any man, but once upon a time, we at least had overnight to ruminate on it.
2015 Jaguar XF 3.0 AWD Luxury
Chris Balcerak, Driving
Indeed, it is the very rapidity of the changes that are possible in the consumer electronics world that are now so flummoxing automotive engineers. Thanks to those redefined customer expectations, what was once a spectacularly quick four-year turnaround in new model introductions (platform change in industry parlance) is now a what-the-h-e-double-hockey-sticks-took-you-so-long wait, even though the four-year span required for the total re-engineering steel and rubber still seems, by historic standards, incredibly rapid.
Thus, does a car like Jaguar’s XF mid-sized saloon, much feted as a stylistic and engineering breakthrough for the Coventry-based company since it was face-lifted three short years ago, now seems a little, well, wrinkled around the eyebrows, lines now showing that require the automotive equivalent of Botox to revitalize the youthful image that sells.
Like most aspects of aging, the first signs are unseen, in the XF’s case it’s that with the much-missed XK becoming extinct and the entry-level XE tantalizingly close to delivery, by the end of the year, the XF will be the only car out of four sold in Jaguar dealerships not made of aluminum. Yup, while Ford makes much of its lighter-than-steel F-150 and Audi drags its heels despite being the first mainstream manufacturer with an aluminized unibody, most of Jaguar Land Rover’s products are built on a platform of aluminum (including the top-of-the-line Range Rover and Range Rover Sports).
2015 Jaguar XF 3.0 AWD Luxury
Chris Balcerak, Driving
This then makes the XF 3.0L AWD an anomaly in the automotive world, the only mid-sized sedan in the world that weighs more (1,880 kilograms versus the short wheelbase XJ’s 1,871 kilos for the equivalent 3.0L AWD model) than the full-boat luxury sled atop the pyramid. And, thanks to governmental mandates for increased fuel economy, lightness is now right next to Godliness.
That’s not to say that the XF has been left to wither. Indeed, numerous have been the upgrades since its 2009 introduction, the most significant being the addition of a 2.0-litre turbocharged four (to better compete with the like of Audi’s A6) and, most important to a wintery Canada, a new all-wheel-drive system.
Although it’s easy to dismiss all AWD systems as the same, there really is something “Instinctive” about Jaguar’s implementation. Rather than the 50/50 to 60/40 rear/front torque splits common to its German competition, the XF sends a great preponderance (over 75 %) of its torque to the rear wheels until it detects slip, the goal being to emulate traditional rear-wheel-drive handling as much as possible. Only when slip is detected or anticipated (hence that Instinctive moniker) by the onboard computer does the XF sedan send as much as 50% of the engine’s torque to the front wheels.
It’s an excellent system, working pretty much as advertised, able to slide the rear end sportingly when desired yet offering all the traction benefits of all four tires distributing power. To be sure, it’s not quite as benign as Mercedes’ 4Matic or Audi’s Quattro systems, but if you like a little bit of tail-happy oversteer in your luxury sedan it’s worth heading to a Jag dealer for a test drive. Indeed, from my point of view, the Instinctive system’s only drawback is that it’s only available in conjunction with Jaguar’s 3.0-litre V6, the base 2.0L four and topline supercharged V8s not yet ready it seems to drive all four wheels.
Not that there’s anything wrong with the V6. Essentially, two cylinders lopped off the 5.0-litre V8 and then supercharged, the 3.0L is good for 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, the combination good enough, when hooked up to the XF’s eight-speed automatic, to sprint to 100 kilometres an hour in 6.4 seconds. And, despite having a supposedly more vibration-prone 90 degrees between cylinder banks (the same as the V8s) rather than the conventional-for-a-V6 60 degrees, the 3.0 is a paragon of smoothness and civility, even the engine note — always a difficulty for V6s — sporting. It’s an excellent combination.
One that will be made only better when the XF goes all aluminum. In the meantime, Jaguar has on offer a still-comely mid-sized luxury sedan with a host of high-tech features (a 17-speaker, 850-watt Meridian audio system and a way nifty disappearing rotary gear selector, for instance), a luxurious interior and my pick for the best all-wheel-drive system in the luxury sedan segment. All for the commendably competitive price of $67,500 for the “Luxury” edition (which includes the aforementioned stereo as well as voice-controlled navigation system, a rearview camera, a front parking aid and Sirius satellite radio, heated and cooled power adjustable front seats and 19-inch alloys). Time may make cowards of us all, but a bargain can heal most wounds.
2015 Jaguar XF 3.0 AWD Luxury
Chris Balcerak, Driving
The Specs
Type of vehicle All-wheel-drive four-door sedan
Engine 3.0L DOHC supercharged V6
Power 340 hp @ 6,500 rpm; 332 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3,500 to 5,000 rpm
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires 245/40R19
Price (base/as tested) $67,500/$67,850
Destination charge N/A
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy (L/100 km) 13.9 city, 8.5 highway
Standard features Power door locks, windows and (heated) mirrors, dual zone automatic air conditioning, Meridian 825-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with 17 speakers, 3.5-mm auxiliary audio input, three auxiliary power outputs, navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, power glass sunroof, information display, adjustable power seats, heated and cooled front seats, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, auto headlights, front air bags, side curtain air bags, rear view camera, Jaguar Smart Key System, Anti-lock Braking, Electronic Stability Control, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Tire Pressure Monitoring system
