Under the direction of Ian Callum, the design of the XF represents a new design path for Jaguar saloons, and not before time.
Gone are the overtly retro lines of the S-type, replaced here with something much leaner, more modern and pure, with a fine overall balance. If our experience of the latest XK coupé (and, arguably, the one before it) is anything to go by, the XF’s appearance might turn out to be a slow burn too.
Certainly, as with the XK, there’s a rightness about the XF’s stance, a muscular surefootedness that won’t diminish over time. Even with a new direction, Jaguar hasn’t forgotten its history – a touch of E-type here, a nudge of Mk2 there. Fortunately, they stop well short of pastiche.
Beneath this new design language lies something we have seen before. The XF’s engines – three petrol units and the 2.7-litre diesel tested here – all come from other models in the range, as does the six-speed automatic gearbox, while the suspension (double wishbones at the front, multi-link at the rear) is borrowed from the XK.
There are even carryover parts from the S-type, although continuing its mechanicals is no bad thing. The result is a car that’s the largest in the class. Jaguar claims it’s torsionally the stiffest, and it’s the heaviest we’ve tested, tipping our scales at 1905kg.