2016 Jaguar XF: First Drive
CARS.COM — There wasn’t much wrong with the 2015 Jaguar XF midsize sedan, which might explain the mild, evolutionary approach Jaguar took in redesigning the 2016 XF, on sale now. Without a tutor, you probably wouldn’t recognize the differences in exterior styling — and it’s the same level of incremental change throughout the redone model that has delivered a more refined, athletic and comfortable car that keeps Jaguar’s best-selling model in the competition but doesn’t blow away its competitors.
Related: 2016 Jaguar XF: First Look
Where the 2015 model offered a turbocharged four-cylinder, supercharged V-6 and a choice of supercharged V-8s, the 2016 model year starts with only a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6. The new entry-level engine, a turbo-diesel 2.0-liter four-cylinder, will come later in the model year.
Currently there are two main XF types, the XF 35t and the XF S, both of which I drove at a national introduction in and around Sedona, Ariz. The engine produces 340 horsepower in the 35t and 380 hp in the XF S. The 35t comes in Premium, Prestige and R-Sport trim levels while the XF S stands alone. Both come with an eight-speed automatic transmission and the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. Prices range from $52,895 to $66,695, including a destination fee (see more details), representing a $5,275 price decrease from the 2015 V-6 version.
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The engine provides plenty of power for quick sprints off the line as well as high-speed passing. The standard eight-speed transmission is reasonably responsive; it’s unfortunate I have to describe it that way, but today’s eight- and nine-speed transmissions frequently exhibit a lot of lag and gear hunting. The XF’s is better than average. In my passing maneuvers, the transmission did a stair-step two-gear kickdown rather than hopping directly down a couple of gears, but at least it pulled ahead in the brief interim gear rather than bog down completely. Was the six-speed automatic, which was abandoned in 2013, a better experience? Hell yes, but it was also less efficient.
The differences between the 340- and 380-hp versions of the engine are so small that I don’t think I’d even bother marketing it. The torque ratings are the same — 332 pounds-feet at 4,500 rpm — and both engines hit peak horsepower at 6,500 rpm. Jaguar estimates zero-to-60-mph times of 5.2 and 5.1 seconds with rear-wheel drive, a difference you simply don’t feel in your butt — even if your butt is British.
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Turning the rotary-knob gear selector from D to S activates a transmission Sport mode that mitigates the kickdown steps by holding onto lower gears longer. There’s a selectable Dynamic mode – along with Normal, Eco and Winter modes – that activates the transmission’s Sport mode and also brings more aggressive throttle response, lower power-steering assist and sportier suspension settings with the optional adaptive suspension, which both of my cars featured. Even better, a configurable menu on the touch-screen lets you select which of these attributes change when you activate Dynamic mode. A downside, the mode-change buttons themselves are too small and far back on the center console, especially considering the gear knob is surrounded by an expanse of unused space.
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With EPA-estimated 20/30/24 mpg city/highway/combined mileage on premium gas, the 2016 XF beats the base 2015 model by 1 mpg combined and the V-6 by 2 mpg combined (rear-drive models). The all-wheel-drive 2016’s 20/28/23 mpg beats the comparable 2015 by 3 mpg combined. The XF is now on par with the competing Audi A6, BMW 535i and Cadillac CTS.
The brakes are strong and linear, and the handling is a high point — balanced and neutral with excellent steering response, as well as feedback I’d describe as above average. The A6 has never been strong in the latter, and the 5 Series is commonly cited as evidence BMW has gotten too soft. It’s also gotten too heavy. We won’t know how the XF’s base model will compare with the 528, but the 35t is 320 pounds lighter than a comparably equipped BMW 535i and 408 pounds less than an Audi A6 3.0T, on which all-wheel drive is standard (the difference is 298 pounds versus the all-wheel-drive Jag). Thanks to more extensive use of aluminum, the rear-drive 2016 XF is 132 pounds lighter than the 2015, and thanks to an all-wheel-drive system that’s a claimed 16 percent lighter, that version of the 2016 is down an impressive 265 pounds.
This change you definitely feel, regardless of your butt’s origin or relative weight. I wish I could say it’s a revelation, but until I get more time in the car in a controlled environment I’ll call it a welcome attribute in a class that’s largely overweight and overly isolationist.
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Though the Continental all-season tires (on 19- and 20-inch wheels) with which my test cars were equipped exhibited admirable grip, it was clear the chassis could handle more. A set of summer performance tires probably would better show the car’s true colors. With the adaptive suspension, the dynamics didn’t come at the expense of ride comfort, even in the sportier setting. The cabin is quite comfortable and quiet. Under heavy acceleration, you hear some nice induction and faint supercharger sounds, but Jaguar could have done more with the exhaust note. As the outlier who thinks the company went overboard with the F-Type’s exhaust, I’m confident Jaguar went too far in the other direction with the XF. When so many competitors have turbos mucking up their exhaust, the supercharged XF had a lot of potential. Opportunity lost.
Jaguar has nothing to apologize for in the cars I drove – though some missing equipment was a downer considering the car is already on sale. Specifically, the new all-wheel drive – which is claimed to send 100 percent of torque to the rear wheels unless it’s needed in front — wasn’t available to drive, though it is available at dealerships. The base suspension — with shock absorbers designed to quell high-frequency ripples without sacrificing necessary firmness when needed — also wasn’t available for testing. Finally, an ambitious InControl Touch Pro multimedia system with a 10.2-inch touch-screen won’t appear as an optional upgrade from standard InControl Touch (“Novice” implied) until early 2016. Ditto for an optional 12.3-inch configurable instrument panel display that replaces the common gauges and small display.
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For now, InControl Touch has an 8-inch touch-screen flanked by buttons that are mechanical rather than the touch-sensitive panels that cheapen some of Land Rover’s vehicles. Where some Jaguar and Land Rover touch-screens are painfully slow, this base XF system is a newer version that reacts more quickly to touch. It does the job and includes InControl Apps, a smartphone interface for both Android and Apple. A navigation system and a 3G Wi-Fi hot spot cost extra.
I’ll have more details soon in a full Cars.com review.
