Road Test: Jaguar XF 2.2D SE

Price as tested: €44,995

In brief: A decade ago, a diesel Jaguar would have been close to sacrilege. Now, the smallest, most affordable oil-burning Jag is one of the famous marque’s best.


It's no coincidence that Jaguar chose Munich as the location to launch its updated XF saloon to the world's press. Munich is home to BMW and BMW is most certainly Jaguar's target as it seeks to double sales of the already-popular XF.

That the XF has sold well since its 2008 launch is more than merely pleasant news to Jaguar; it has in the most literal way saved the company. When Indian manufacturing conglomerate Tata bought Jaguar (and sister firm Land Rover) from Ford that year, Jaguar had primarily been making headlines for losing money and trying to entice US buyers with ill-considered 'retro' models like the unlovely S-Type.

The XF put a stop to the rot in two ways. Its cutting edge styling signaled the end of Jaguar's tiresome raiding of its back catalogue, and its sales revenue allowed the company time to regroup, recover and reinvigorate. That Jaguar-Land Rover recently posted a STG£1-billion profit tells you all you need to know on that score.

And how refreshing it is to be driving a new Jaguar and not commenting on or worrying about the firm's future or financial stability. And doing so in Munich, just minutes from BMW's heartland? Brave, almost arrogant. Good to see it.

Good too to see that the XF's subtle rhinoplasty has finally given it the face its body always deserved. You'd never have called the 2008 model ugly, but it lacked the piercing looks of the C-XF concept car the preceded it. Now, with narrow, feline headlights (with LED daytime running lights in the shape of a stylised J), a bigger, bolder grille and detail changes to the bumpers, the XF looks a million dollars.

Yet it will cost a much more reasonable €44,995 for a basic SE model; about €10k cheaper than the previous basic XF. And that's because Jaguar has introduced a four-cylinder diesel engine to the XF. It may sound prosaic to discuss a four-banger fuel-saver when talking about a Jaguar, but the simple fact is that its rivals (the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6) all score their biggest sales with just such engines.

So, lifted from the Land Rover Freelander and forthcoming Range Rover Evoque, the XF's 2.2-litre turbocharged engine gets a new oil pan and new active engine mounts, as well as a dual-layer bulkhead to keep noise to a minimum. And it works. At all but a cold start up, the XF's new engine is pleasingly refined although you're never in doubt that it is a diesel.

It is very punchy though. With 188bhp and 450Nm of torque, shifting even the XF's 1,745kg bulk wasn't going to be hard. 450Nm is actually more torque than the old 2.7-litre V6 diesel and the XF wafts along just as a Jaguar should, with real thump when the slick-shifting 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox (the only transmission option) kicks down. It can be a touch hesitant pulling out of a tight junction though as the engine takes a second or two to start pulling properly.  It's frugal though, and comes with a standard stop-start system that is impressive for the speed with which it kicks the engine back into life. Jaguar claims 5.4-litres per 100km on the combined fuel consumption cycle and an early production car drove the 1,312km from the factory in England's midlands to Munich on one 64-litre tank of fuel.

Co2 emissions are a touch high though. BMW's 520d and Audi's A6 2.0 TDI both slot into Band B for emissions, with 129g/km figures with makes the Jag's 149g/km look pretty lofty. Adding automatic gearboxes to the BMW and Audi raises their figures to 139g/km but that still leaves the Jaguar driver paying an extra €150 a year in road tax. Hardly a deal breaker but a serious consideration (as will the BIK figure be) for the fleet managers that Jaguar will be courting with this model.

Perhaps it would be best to forget the figures for now and concentrate on the driving. We'll hold back on any definitive judgement until we get some Irish tarmac under the tyres, but the XF feels wonderfully lithe and fluid to drive, with exceptionally well balanced steering and a ride quality that's only upset at low speeds by short-wave urban lumps and ripples. If you want your executive saloon to deliver on true driver enjoyment, the XF stands head and shoulders above even the mighty 5 Series. Remarkable when you think that its chassis dates back to a late nineties Lincoln.

Its cabin can't compete though. We love the blue mood lighting, the avant-garde rotary gear selector and the touch sensitive lights, and there's little enough to quibble with when it comes to quality of assembly. But the main dials look cheap and uninteresting and the touch-screen infotainment system is fiddly. Space in the back is only fine if you're stepping out of a 5 Series; compared to an A6 or (especially) an E-Class, it's too tight, even if the boot is reasonably generous.

But you would have to be a spectacular curmudgeon not to be charmed by this car, just a little bit. The new 2.2 diesel is a welcome addition to the XF range, expanding its appeal and making it noticeably more affordable to run. That it falls short of the Germans in the efficiency stakes is a shame, but that detracts not a bit from how terrific this car is to drive.
Facts & Figures

Jaguar XF 2.2D SE
Price as tested: €44,995
Range price: €44,995 to €114,800
Capacity: 2,179cc
Power: 188bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Top speed: 240kmh
0-100kmh: 8.5sec
Economy: 5.4l-100km (52.3mpg)
CO2 emissions: 149g/km
VRT Band: C. €302 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested