Out & About Summer 2018

MOTORS

MAURICE AND ANNETTE HARDY go for a spin in the Jaguar XF and find that the car manufactuer no longer relies on its past to drive its future

Car: Jaguar XF R-Sport 2.0 Turbocharged Diesel 240ps AWD Does it fit your ego...

0-62 mph: 6.5 secs Top speed: 153mph PS: 240 @ 4000rpm Torque: 500Nm @ 1500rpm and your wallet... Price: £41,900 Combined: 51.4mpg CO2 emissions: 144g/km

T his marque once dominated by models that looked backwards, such as the late 90s S Type and the first all-aluminium XJ saloons from the early noughties, is now a driving force in future power sources with its electric E-Pace. But in the meantime, as the big switch to electric takes place, the company still makes some very competent diesels such as that clothed by the XF R-Sport saloon we have just been driving. The XF had wafting ride qualities that belied its R-Sport suspension in a positive way. We had once agreed that R-Sport cars were not for us, too hard and unbearable, but this XF proved the opposite so some suspension engineer at Jaguar has done a tremendous job. There is still a minor homage to the cars of the past with the shape of the front grille – original XJ saloon – and the C pillar glazing – Mk 2 saloon – also recalled possibly by the Morse code aluminium instrument cluster finish as the famous detective Inspector Morse, created by Colin Dexter, drove a Mk 2 in the TV series. But the rest of the car is very much 21st century, although the diesel engine is perhaps more of a pariah

choreographed dance of pulsing red starter button (to represent a beating heart) and the rising of the circular gearshift from the console and the green Jaguar symbol in the head-up display. It’s all a bit OTT for our liking and just delays the getting going. On the other hand, the gearshift always goes to park when the ignition is switched off no matter what gear the car had been in when stopped and the parking brake sets itself. The XF is perfectly formed for its role as an executive express whisking its occupants discreetly from one boardroom to another, thanks to that twin turbo diesel engine. Despite its four cylinders, it feels superior to the four-cylinder engine when used in the Land Rover Discovery and equals that of the V6 in the Range Rover Velar when it comes to refinement. There’s loads of power to make the XF a decent towcar so the standard trailer stability control nested in the car’s electronic wizardry will be welcome. With its good boot and generous interior, taking a family on holiday while lugging a large caravan would suit this car. Only the new Sportbrake version might do better.

fitment than it would have been 18 months ago. That said, this diesel is efficient, a feature shared by all modern diesels and seemingly ignored by their detractors. Its 2.0-litre capacity pumps out 240PS and 500Nm of torque in a remarkably smooth progression that delivers a 0-62mph time of 6.5 seconds and top speed of 153mph. Best bits: does everything a Jag should Drive is through an eight-speed automatic gearbox to all four wheels, giving the car a smoothness of travel and deftness of handling. Its 40mpg average will equally delight the parsimonious with a sense of daring. The interior leather was a rich chocolate brown, quite a change from the serious black that dominated the rest of the interior, but which was thankfully relieved by the glass roof allowing more light to flood in. Even the traditional woodwork that Jaguar does so well was in gloss black veneer, a no-cost option, when traditional wood would have gone so much better with the leather. Standard on this and every auto Jag is the start-up sequence, a

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