Jaguar’s 2.2-litre XF may feature a seemingly small four-pot engine, but it is a highly capable luxury car
UNUNTIL NOW JAGUAR USED TO offer their XF range with a V6 diesel and a V8 petrol. However, in order to carve a niche for themselves in the growing luxury car segment in India the company has launched a brand-new variant of the XF that holds the promise to become the best-selling model from the British car-makers in India.
This new XF looks identical to the existing model, the biggest change in it being the new four-pot diesel motor and the attractive price-tag. By launching this new variant in India, Jaguar have taken the fight to the ‘Big Three’ of Germany, who have dominated this particular segment in India for a long time. Jaguar hope that this new variant will augur well for the company in India as well as elsewhere. And to find out how good this new diesel XF is, we took it out for a spin recently.
It is common knowledge that for a long time Jaguar were missing in the mid-level luxury car segment because they had no product to compete with the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6. They did have the V6 XF, but it was priced much higher than its competitors. Now the 2.2-litre diesel XF is here and it will be the car that will further establish Jaguar in the India luxury car market. Jaguar assemble this car in India. This has helped them to bring down the price, thereby making the XF 2.2 highly competitive. The company hopes that many customers, who did not consider this car earlier because of its high price, will now become interested in the new variant.
The new 2.2 XF is not radically different from its bigger siblings; it looks the same and has the same dimensions. It also features the same elegant cabin and highly intricate detailing inside. The quality of the interior is excellent and it retains the classy feel. The principal change lies under the bonnet, where a small in-line four diesel engine sits.
However, don’t be deluded by the small engine capacity, for this four-pot motor is quite a potent unit. It has all the character that you would expect of a Jaguar and it’s fun to drive as well. Basically, the 2,179-cc in-line four motor of the XF is the same unit that does duty on the Freelander 2. It produces a healthy 190 PS of power and a massive 450 Nm of torque, which are transferred to the rear wheels via an eightspeed ZF auto box. Even though the engine comes from an SUV, there are very few signs to make you feel that. For instance, the refinement and noise levels of the XF 2.2 are good, though not class-leading. The engine noise is evident even at standstill, though Jaguar have done a lot to subdue it by putting in layers of sound-proofing material all over the engine bay.
Noisy it may be, but it makes up for that in performance. This four-cylinder, 190-PS motor has enough power to get you out of most situations swiftly. Power comes in quickly and there is no sudden surge: the motor delivers it in a very linear fashion. Our performance test revealed that the XF went from standstill to 100 km/h in just 9.5 seconds and the kickdown timings were also very impressive. Furthermore, while you are doing all this, the engine doesn’t feel stressed at all. There was one thing, though, that did not go down well with us and that was fuel efficiency. In the city the XF 2.2 returned nine kilometre to a litre and 12 km/l on the highway, which are not great figures for such an engine.
The eight-speed ZF box is pretty good, the gear-shifts are quick and almost seamless. And because the gearbox is tuned for efficiency, it tends to shift to a higher gear very quickly. This is a nice thing, but when you floor the pedal to overtake someone, you will notice a bit of a delay in the down-shifts. Jaguar have taken care of that by putting paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, which react quickly and shift down in accordance with your anticipation.
Handling and ride quality of this new variant are similar to the regular XF’s. The steering is quite direct, gives ample feedback and has a good feel. The suspension set-up is also ideal for India and hardly any body-roll is noticeable even while entering corners at a good speed.
Overall, the new XF with the 2.2-litre diesel motor is a highly capable luxury car that is very easy to drive on the highway as well as within the city. The ultra-luxurious interior and the long list of features are also a plus point in this XF. The biggest plus of this car is its price. In Pune you can get the XF for Rs 57.15 lakh (OTR), which is slightly more than the competition, but you get more equipment for that extra money. Moreover, the good-looking exterior of the XF gives it a unique identity. So if you want to stand out in a crowd of luxury vehicles but don’t want to spend a fortune to do so, then the Jaguar XF 2.2 diesel is the car you should look at.
Don’t be deluded by the small engine capacity, for this four-pot motor is quite a potent unit. It has all the character that you would expect of a Jaguar and it’s fun to drive as well
Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
