Jaguar’s 2.2-litre XF may feature a
seemingly small four-pot engine, but it is a highly capable luxury car
Until 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.
Jaguar’s
2.2-litre XF may feature a seemingly small four-pot engine, but it is a highly
capable luxury car
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.
The
new 2.2 XF is not radically different from its bigger siblings
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 eight-speed
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 kick-down 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 kilometer to a liter and 12 km/l on the highway,
which are not great figures for such an engine.
Noisy
it may be, but it makes up for that in performance
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 anybody-roll is noticeable even while entering corners at a
good speed.
Jaguar
XF 2.2 Diesel back
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 $954,000, 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.
