Jaguar XF

Revealed: New S-Type on the road

Jaguar's test team puts the XF through its paces ahead of world debut later this year

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Sam Hardy

31st January 2007

The new Cat is almost out of the bag! But if you want to know exactly what Jaguar's XF will look like, you won't have to wait any longer.


	The XF is just as rakish as the concept from Detroit, the C-XF, with a short front overhang, sweeping roofline and high tail

Thanks to inside information, Auto Express can reveal that the showroom version of the much anticipated replacement for the brand's S-Type is every bit as head-turning as the scene-stealing concept displayed at January's Detroit Motor Show.

Our images, based on details from sources within the British company, provide the clearest glimpse yet of the BMW 5-Series rival's styling, ahead of its world debut at the Frankfurt exhibition in September. But that's not all. We also have the first spy pictures of the XF, which we've scooped undergoing testing near Jaguar's headquarters in the Midlands.

Despite its disguise, the prototype shows all the key styling details that make the newcomer such a striking machine. And if you compare it with the car in our main image, you can clearly see the low nose, dominated by a bold square grille and finished off by twin-lamp headlights.

The XF is just as rakish as the concept from Detroit, the C-XF, with a short front overhang, sweeping roofline and high tail. What's more, fans will be pleased to see that neat details such as the chrome-trimmed side air intakes and super-bright LED tail-lights have also been carried over. In fact, the only real styling changes between the C-XF and the showroom-ready XF are a slightly taller roofline, to provide more headroom, and simpler bumpers - which have brought about the loss of the show model's chrome front spats and rear venturi tunnels. Conventional door handles are also fitted in place of the Detroit car's touch-sensitive system.

It all adds up to a stunning look. And the design not only banishes the S-Type's retro styling to the past; it also takes Jaguar forward. That's because the XF's shape, particularly the front end, will feature on all of the manufacturer's future cars, giving a whole new generation of customers fresh incentive to sign a cheque for a Jaguar. And big leaps have been made inside, too.

While the new car is based on the same platform as the current S-Type, a widened track and increased wheel-base mean its cabin will have more space for passengers and luggage.

The XF will also be the first model in the range to feature Jaguar's new interior design. The centrepiece of this is a bold aluminium facia, which carries on the extensive use of the material on the body - the doors, wings, bonnet and bootlid are all made of it.

The lightweight metal is combined with carbon fibre, leather and wood trim to give the cabin a sporty and modern feel. There will be deep bucket seats, while on the dash, the aircraft-inspired dials of the C-XF are expected to make an appearance.

Starting the XF will provide owners with a real sense of occasion, too, as they use a bright red 'power' button located on the transmission tunnel. Under the bonnet, buyers will be offered a wide range of engines, and this is set to be boosted by an all- new top-of-the-range 5.0-litre supercharged V8, which is due in 2009.

Until then, entry-level models will get a 3.0-litre V6 or the company's 2.7-litre twin-turbodiesel. Also available will be a 3.6-litre diesel V8 and the legendary blown 4.2-litre petrol V8 that's found in the current XKR.