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From
December 16, 2007
Jaguar XF SV8
Kate Winslet’s curves to the rescue
People say the new XF is the car that will make or break Jaguar. I hope it will be the car that saves the company. But then I have a good reason for saying that. Jaguar was the marque that got me interested in cars almost 50 years ago, writes Jay Leno.
It was 1959. I was out riding my bike near my boyhood home in Massachusetts. As I came over the top of a big, steep hill I saw something that struck me like never before. I saw what was the fastest car of its time: a gunmetal Jaguar XK120 with spats over the rear wheels. The owner saw I was looking at the car and called me over. This was a time before any middle-aged man beckoning to a nine-year-old boy would have been classed as a paedophile. He even let me sit in the car. It had an oxblood interior and had that fabulous smell of hide food. I love that smell to this day. That was a big deal. The Plymouth Belvedere we had as our family car smelt only of Detroit plastic, not English leather.
Those were great years for British engineering. The Vincent Black Shadow was the fastest motorbike in the world, the Bentley Continental was the fastest saloon and the XK was the fastest production car in the world. It’s not a surprise that my passion for cars came from that Jaguar.
I had a physical attraction to the XK120. So, when I was able, I bought not one but two. Both are 1954. One is a roadster in old English white. The other is a blue fixed-head. To me they are two of the most perfectly formed cars ever made. Washing a Jaguar is like giving a woman a bath. Your hands end up going to interesting places.
In the 1950s the British may have been the speed kings, but the cars were not perfect. A friend of mine who worked in a Jaguar dealership tells me the brakes on the saloon were atrocious. He notified the factory, and on the next batch they had fitted a light to the dash. When that lit up, the driver knew he had to pump the brake again. That sense of questionable build quality got worse over the next few decades. Those who loved Jaguars for Queen and country would have bought them regardless. The design always remained their strong point, but their reliability ate at their sales decade after decade. Lyndon Johnson said that, in political terms, a handshake is worth 250 votes. In the car world, bad word of mouth can be worth 10,000 votes.
Jaguar has not made money for 30 years and so I guess it is no surprise Ford is now keen to sell the Leaping Cat. The trouble is, it is doing so just as the brand is turning the corner.
The XKR is a gorgeous machine, a car up there with the likes of the Bentley Continental GT. The XJ is still a good-looking and accomplished car but over here is too highly priced. I drove one a while back. It was $108,000 (£53,000), for goodness’ sake. That, plus retro styling, meant it did not appeal to younger buyers. As General Motors said, you can sell a young man’s car to an old man but not the other way round.
Jaguar has always been about value. An Aston Martin always offered the same technology but at twice the price. So when I heard that the new XF, which I saw for the first time last week, was $63,000 (£31,000) for the supercharged version, I was amazed. At that price it’s £25,000 cheaper here than in Britain, so expect a wave of private imports. I had reckoned on $80,000-$85,000. But that’s good news. If this is to be the car to save the brand, it needs to fly off the shelves.
To put it among its brethren, for the first look at the new Jag, we brought the XF into my garage and parked it by my XK120s and a special E-type I have. Right away it looked at home.
The shiny grille is beautiful. The haunches are muscular but sculpted. The car sits beautifully on those massive 20in wheels. The arc of the roofline is stunning and is not something that a computer could have done. You can tell that Ian Callum hand-draws his cars first, then turns them into clays, before the computer takes over.
It is a work of art. You try it. It’s a hard thing to do. There is nothing I like more than sitting and just enjoying the art of a beautiful car. I think Jaguar dealers should make sofas and a glass of wine available to new customers so they can enjoy the lines of the XF. I’m not a four-door guy but this saloon has some of the best lines of any four-door I have seen.
It’s not just the shape of the car that’s appealing. It’s the fact that it is made as a Jaguar should be made. The shut lines between the panels are consistent. No filling them up with rubber to hide the gaps, as would have been the case in the past.
Americans are not aware that Jaguar did well in the JD Power quality survey recently. When told, people say, “Yeah, right.” That shows how long it takes for people’s perception to change. The fact is, Jaguar seems now to be making cars as well as Lexus or BMW. The world just does not know it.
I love the bow to the A-pillar and the solidity of the C-pillar at the back. They hold up the beautiful arc-shaped roof with a sense of power and poise. The bonnet has a fabulous sculpted bulge that feels as if it should be there, not as if it has been added by a hot-rod shop as an afterthought.
Other things I like about the exterior are those wheels. They sit so well in the wheel wells. It is easy to make a car look out of proportion, but when it works it is wonderful.
The face of the car is friendly but also slightly menacing. The nose of a Jaguar has always been an important feature, from the SS up to now. The XKE, or E-type, has one of the most distinguishable noses of any car made. And at the other end, I think Callum has made a perfect rear. I remember him saying that Kate Winslet’s curvaceous lines had been an inspiration in the past. I even asked her about it on the Tonight Show. I think he must have been thinking about her when designing the XF too.
Digressing for a moment, I hear that two Indian companies are in the running to buy Jaguar. One is Tata. I guess that instead of complimenting a lady on her rather nice Jaguar you’ll compliment her on her nice Tatas.
Inside the XF, the feel is hi-tech English gentleman’s study. The wood quotient is minimal for a Jaguar. Instead, the stitched leather and brushed aluminium add a sense of space race to London club. The dials remind me of one of my favourite mechanical watches. The instrument screen sits naturally in the dash instead of popping up like an electronic jack-in-the-box. The controls and toggles are solid and well fettled. The sense that the interior has been taken from the Ford parts bin is long gone. I like the fact the interior has been created from scratch, not based on a previous design. The interior alone will bring the demographic down 15 years.
I am not a car audiophile. I prefer to listen to the sound of a car like this with its fabulous supercharger whine. But Jaguar has worked with Bowers & Wilkins, a high-end British audio brand, to fit a good sound system that is iPod and iPhone compatible.
Forget Austin Powers and his Shaguar. The XF is definitely more 007. As you fire her up, the air vents swivel skywards and a Union Jack appears on the screen.
You expect a voice to say, “Good Morning, Mr Bond.” In an era when all cars are more and more similar, I like a sense of theatre. Starting it up makes driving the XF an event. With more than 400bhp, the supercharged version is a beast to make the BMW M5 take a peek in the rear-view mirror. In fact, if you blindfolded the driver (never a good idea), they’d probably say they were in a high-end German saloon. That’s a good thing.
On the rough freeways of Los Angeles, the ride is excellent. It takes the punches of the potholes but is still firm enough to allow you to feel in touch with the surface.
The steering is precise, the steering wheel is perfectly weighted and the driving position gives great vision. Only when you come up behind other saloons do you realise how low this car is. The sports heritage has not gone away.
For a proper test of its handling and performance we head into the Malibu hills. The roads up here attract more Ducati and Yamaha riders than sports saloon drivers. But the appearance of the XF gets even the bikers excited. “Is that the new BMW?” asks one, before correcting himself when he sees the Jaguar badge. “Wow, that’s cool. Beautiful.”
On the switchback mountain roads the XF has superb poise. I look at the speedo and see we are at almost 90mph between the curves. It sits well on those huge Pirellis and takes the bends and the bumps with aplomb.
I have it in track mode, which gives the back end some freedom but with a safety net of traction control in case my skills are outdone by the highway. But there is no squeaking, no scuttle shake, no flexing of the chassis. It is taut and poised regardless of what I throw at it. The light touch is the way to go. Grab it like a teenager holding on for dear life at a dance, and it is not as happy.
So, is this the car to save Jaguar? I’d say yes. It is perhaps the best-made Jaguar ever, and its looks will keep it young for a while. This is not some 50-year-old lady with a tummy tuck, boob job and Botox. It’s a clean sheet of paper.
The bottom line is, people want Jaguar to succeed. If they make cars as good as Lexuses or BMWs, they will sell well. No one wants Jaguar to go away. For many people, there is an emotional attachment to Jaguar. That’s certainly the case for me. Jaguar got me into this game. I want the company to succeed, and I’d hate the XF to be the last new Jaguar I ever drove.
Vital statistics
Model Jaguar XF SV8
Engine 4196cc, eight cylinders
Power 416bhp @ 6250rpm
Torque 413 lb ft @ 3500rpm
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Fuel 22.4mpg (combined cycle)
CO2 299g/km
Acceleration 0-60mph: 5.1sec
Top speed 155mph (limited)
UK price £54,900
Rating 
Verdict As good as Germans but prettier
Enjoyed reading Jay Leno's review. I've seen the XF on display in a mall; the first thing that struck me was how similar it looked to the post-2006 Lexus GS series. I own a 2006 GS 300 and even the interior looked familiar except the instrumentation. But 'tis a gorgeous car! And good luck, Tata!
acy, Toronto, Canada
My first car was a 1949 1 half litre, pre S-type jag. and since then at age 16 I have never been happy!
Dave, Leicester, UK
Collected mine from the dealership 10 days ago after a dissapointing delay in delivery date. I have owned, Mercedes, Lexus, Saab.... but this is a real pleasure, the finish is outstanding, the drive a delight and the gadgets...well I am still working most of them out. Well done Jaguar!
Paul Eden-Smith, Nottingham, UK
I saw the advert on the tv, and i looked twice. For the hell of it I booked a test drive. Now i'm 35K lighter. If you value your bank balance then please, please stay away from the dealers, wear a blind fold, its like medusa. What a car. I'm 49 and feel like a 6 year old on christmas eve.
ken, Widnes, Cheshire
Say what you like about the new XF. Comparing it to other cars etc. Most cars today can only be recognised from the badge on the back. I like the looks so much I have just ordered the XFSV8, and traded in my BMW 645. Its not just about the car, its also about the service that Jaguar give. Miles better than BMW.
Dave Cox, Littlethorpe, Leicestershire - UK
So many cars that look good at the front end up so disappointing at the back. It's like the designers run out of time, money and skill. That even goes for Mercedes and BMW.
But this XF is devine; the lines all flow from front to back in a beautiful sculpture.
If they can get this right the rest must be good and it is.
Mike Daly, Maidenhead, UK
I've literally just come in from being driven in an XF and...wow. I am speechless. I'm not a petrolhead, but I am in LOVE with this car.
In the flesh this car is beautiful, far classier than a BMW or Mercedes. The interior is stunning. Absolutely stunning. Jay got it spot on, retaining the 'Britishness' of Jaguar - the wood, the leather - but with nice modern touches such as aluminium and blue 'mood lighting' that isn't gaudy but classic.
Little touches make this car, like the pulse of the start button.
The ride is gorgeous, the sound of the engine is immense - it sounds like the earht is collapsing around your ears!
If you are undecided I urge you, nay beg you, to seriously consider this car. Go for a test drive, check it out. In the flesh this car is breathtaking.
I'm speechless!
Alex, Coventry, Warwickshire,
Don't you just love it when people say it looks like so and so, and start pouring scorn on the car. Sorry it only looks vaguely like a GS300 from the side profile but the rear end from the end of the glasshouse to the back is absolute masterclass - please open your eyes and compare the bulbous end of the GS300 with the XF's sleek aston martin like stance - it looks absolutely stunning - a 4 door saloon that looks like a coupe - what the CLS started this ended.
The front head lamps are rather different compared to the CXF but its a grower, sleek and menacing at the same time with a touch of the old jaguar squarish grille.
Tim, Toronto,
In case your eyes are not sensitive to details,
pay close attention to the S type and compare it to the ford mondeo: the back resembles it right? well my friend thats cause ford, in an attempt to move that cheap car upmarket, took the design of the rear of the s type and turned it into the rear of the worthless ford mondeo. Just because they were the parent company and could- how sad.
As for this car its beautiful, from a design stand point, those of you who are criticising this car are just doing it because you hate the fact that you will never be able to afford it. Try driving a Jaguar and then tell me you do not like it. The s type R is agile and that engine roars- imposing. A similarily priced Merc does not compare to this car in any way. I would know as i have had the pleasure to own and Xkr and a C55 amg, and drive an s type R. Jaguar > German car manufacturers
Sergei Abrimovich, London, United Kingdom
Looks like a cross between a Lexus GS300 and a Volvo S80 with a tacked-on meshed grill. Good luck Jaguar !
Gene Lee, Singapore,
Looks like a rejected Lexus design to me, with a fancy grille grafted on - slightly better that when Leyland added a Vanden Plas front on to the Allegro.
What a disappointment !!!
Doug, Watford, Hertfordshire
Oh dear, it looks like a Volvo with a Jaguar badge. Is there any chance for a complete redesign :-) ? More British please!
Martin, Hamburg, Germany
I must say the XF gives me a bit of a funny sensation of déjà -vu. In the back (incidentally not overly emphasized by Jay) it makes me think a bit of a Ford Mondeo. All my friends say it's crazy-talk from a raving mad man but I still say it has a touch of Mondeo over it. I fear it is of a nature to bring the car a bit downmarket.
Allthough I am perfectly happy to admit that any changes made by Jaguar from the classical model we all know is to be greeted with mixed feelings. And lord knows changes were much needed.
Be all that as is may, I also feel it has a bit of a Lexus-touch in the exterior and I hope and pray that the company that has made so many gorgeous cars (the latest being the XKR) survives and indeed thrives
Maarten Contreras, Oudenaarde, Vlaanderen
I like the XF a lot but I have to say that I liked the concept even more. The production nose is terrible, it looks dated and Korean. A real shame because the rest is epic.
P. Ameye, Ghent, Belgium
Charles, San Diego - the UK government has no authority or control over import policy (which is set in the EU), and so does not engage in non-tariff barriers on Japanese cars - which is illegal. The EU slaps a 10% customs duty rate on imported cars, and the UK adds its standard 17.5% VAT on top. So if you aimed to bring a left hand drive version to the UK, add another £9k for import duties, and perhaps another 3K to get it on the road and registered. Perhaps £2k for international transport (guessing) and you're still £10k better off with the import - offset by having the steering wheel on the wrong side, the sheer hassle and the associated increased insurance costs. But many would find that a reasonable proposition.
Cariad, Windsor, UK
I've ordered my xf v8 supercharged beauty and can't wait until 1st March. It is the car I've been waiting for for many years and it's a beautiful Jaguar!
Keith Ounsworth, Manchester, UK
I loved the style when I first saw it and now having read several great reports can't wait to drive one. Whhat a fabulous interior too to match the classy, sporty and beautiful lines of the exterior. This car is a real headturner. Good luck to Jaguar!
Stephen , Cambridge, UK
56,000 pounds in the UK, 31,000 in the US? You British should be protesting in the streets about how British companies rip you off.
If the UK government removed nontariff barriers on Japanese cars, the British consumer would see far lower prices from all manufacturers.
Thank you British for subsidizing cars for me in the US. (And I am not an American.)
Charles , San Diego, California
I too hope Jaguar can survive and thrive - would be even better if it were to do so in British ownwership. (How old-fashioned is that sentiment?)
But to my mind the XK 150 was the best looking Jaguar...
Gerry Watts, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
I don't care what jaguar say - this is definitely a new mondeo clone. Slight variations in the sheet metal and headlight design can't hide the fact. I wouldn't be suprised if every basic dimension - wheelbase, overhangs, hieght and track are the same.
However after the X-type debacle, i suspect that every jag employee has been to sworn to secrecy on pain of a right royal hoohah as jaguar don't want a repeat.
P Young, Cardiff, UK
can't wait until it's in the showroom...i saw it and it's a beautiful car...well done ian and everyone in conventry. now with a new owner we can make beautiful fast cars ...i'm in
dennis A Squitieri, Paramus, New Jersey
true, it does resemble a mondeo...they have ruined the lines of the cxf concept, which was much better looking than the production xf
mn rahman, farnham, surrey
To me it looks like an expensive rwd mondeo. Jay Leno might slant BMW but at least they're unique, good looking or bad looking. When you buy a Jag I don't want it too look like a mondeo. Yes, the xf is good looking but so is the new mondeo. IMO the S-type jag was much better looking car.
Deni, Tirane, Albania
It's funny how the old jag lovers keep saying I thought is was a BMW, Audi, Lexus. Thiose cars sell and show a profit. The old outdated jag design didn't despite having a good engine and handeling. Those designs aren't classy anymore. They are old and outdated. The only people who still buy these cars are the senior citizens trying to relive their youth when these designs were all the rage. Jaguar is trying to attract the 20-40 age group. This car should be able to do that.
Jerry, Los Angeles, ca
Nice to get an enthusiast's take. It certainly looks beautifully styled. Why do we have to pay £25K more than the US?
I was around in '59 and we used to say the Austin Healey 3000 was the fastest production car at that time (maybe it was acceleration) - who's right?
David, Oxford,
Nothing stinks more than a "made" testimonial. A bit like watching late dubious penalties get awarded to Juventus at the Stadio delle Alpi or being asked to believe Donatella Versace hasn't got collagen lips. Jay Leno damns with faint praise. Take the badge off and you've got what Skoda would produce if asked to imagine a Volvo. Despite the disingenuous attempts to identify this vehicle as a "Jaguar" it's a parthion shot from Ford. They ruined the pedigree and now India will likely bury it. Saying this pastiche of a Germanic- Skandinavian blob will "save the company" is akin to Jeff Skilling urging Enron employees to buy its stock. Tatta for now and good luck with that. This design gives the beautiful south American cat clear grounds for eponymous defamation.
Jim McGregor, Hong Kong,
Lovely car, great review. It really does look so much better in real life than it does in any picture or video, though - really muscly and aggressive. Bargain, too - yet again Jaguar undercut BMW and Mercedes prices!
'Let's hope this time they can quickly follow with an estate and soft top version - like BMW do with the 3 series.'
Actually, believe it or not, an estate and cabriolet version are supposedly planned - as is a 500bhp, 5.0-litre XFR. Time will tell. Why are you comparing it to a 3-Series? This is a class above... Against the 5-Series/A6/E-Class/GS
'Looks like Subaru from the front and a Volvo from the side - and that grill is awful - they have tried to copy Bentley.'
Of course they haven't tried to copy Bentley - the square grille is traditional Jaguar style! The 1960's Jaguar XJ6 had one, for example: http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1960-1969/1968-1973-Jaguar-XJ6-Series-I-Light-Blue-1280x960.jpg
Lewis F, Coventry, England
Good quote, Mr. Leno: "You can't sell a young man an old man's car."
But face it, front engine, rear-wheel drive, big, really heavy, clumsy, low ground clearance, power output nothing to write home about at 73kW (100bhp)/litre; the entire notion is some 30 years past its sell by date. The big executive sedan; the ulltimate posermobile. And now bought by India. Symptomatic of Britain is a sense. Impoverished and selling the family silver. Decades of commercial and political ineptitude and it’s come to this. All that privilege, business lunches and executive parking space instead of taking care of business.
Any chance of being consistent within the spec? Torque 413 lb ft @ 3500rpm contrast with CO2 299g/km. Mixing metric with imperial is so liberal arts. Haven't you got anyone with something resembling an engineering background?
Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan
Think that Jay Leno is spot on with this - seen the car in the flesh and it looks awesome and unlike anything else - a proper modern Jag. The interior also blows away anything that the Germans or Japanese have on offer. The challenge will be to the british public - will they forever be a 'sheep' and drive a BMW or Audi - or have some personality and drive a distinctive car like this.
Rob, London, London
I saw this car on display in the lobby of the Royal Automobile Club on Monday last. My first reaction from a few yards away was:
What's a BMW doing in here? Or, is it a new Audi?
JIM RUNNALLS, URCAY, FRANCE
Looks like Subaru from the front and a Volvo from the side - and that grill is awful - they have tried to copy Bentley.
Tractorboy, Cirencester, UK
Let's hope this time they can quickly follow with an estate and soft top version - like BMW do with the 3 series. The diesel and estate version of the X type took far too long to appear.
John C, Helston, Cornwall
I saw 2 in my local Jag dealer being prepped for showin. I ordered mine even thugh they are not out.
They are amazing cars and should turn Jag round.
stephen Soos, Leicester,
The best car my dad ever had was a 3.8 M2 in the sixties. How could you not fall in love with Jaguar? I only ever owned one - a series 1 E Type but, I regret, not a roadster. After all this time I think the E Type is probably the prettiest car ever built, closely followed by the Mercedes 190SL. Dates me, doesn't it?
I guess I'm like a million others = I'd love to see Jaguar survive and continue building beautiful cars. Let's hope they can.
Steve at Bondi Beach, Sydney,