Evolution m Oves apace
CHRIS RUSSON explores the clever and delightful changes to Jaguar’s executive XF express and F-PACE family SUV
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IT’S testimony to the design of Jaguar cars that they evolve rather than transform when it comes to update time.
The latest to hit the development trail are top sellers for the great British brand – the XF sports saloon and estate and the F-PACE SUV.
Both models get some striking design changes inside and out but remain instantly recognisable as cars of the time – which in the case of the XF started back in 2007.
There are new bumpers with larger air vents, a new grille, narrower LED lights front and back and, all in all, both the XF and the F-PACE look more assertive.
But it’s on the inside where the greatest changes come and both models now share the same dashboard and instrumentation.
This includes Jaguar’s latest Pivi Pro infotainment system controlled from a new-look 11.4in touchscreen that sits proudly in the centre of dash.
There’s also a fully interactive 12.3in instrument panel ahead of the driver, a new look to the centre console and a completely different gear selector.
This replaces the previous rotary control with a chunky lever complete with cricket ball-like double stitching. And there’s no handbrake button or lever.
Vehicles are now secured via the P button alongside the transmission – a trait that is going to make its way to all Jaguar Land Rover models fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Realistically, the only difference to the front interior treatment on the XF and F-PACE is the seats, which on the SUV we sampled were of lightweight sports design beautifully finished in red leather.
The XF line-up now starts from £32,585 for a diesel-powered D200 saloon, with the Sportbrake estate coming in from £37,735 in similar specification.
Petrol models cost from £33,925 with P250 powertrains, while the Sportbrake is priced from £39,275. The saloon we tried – all models were left-hand drive – was an all-wheel-drive P300 in R-Dynamic SE trim, which comes in at £41,850.
With a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Ingenium engine under the bonnet, it packs a mean punch, accelerating from 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds and a maximum of 155mph.
From a fuel economy perspective, it is rated at 32.9mpg officially, with emissions of 193g/km and we managed to average 29.2 to the gallon.
The Sportbrake was a more efficient rear-wheel-drive D200, officially rated at 54.2 to the gallon (which equates to a CO2 reading of 137g/km) and it’s no slouch, either, at 7.3 seconds for 0-60mph and with a top end of 143mph.
When it comes to the F-PACE, the car now looks much more the part thanks to bigger front air vents, new-look headlights and a fresh design to the bonnet.
The version we tried was a six-cylinder petrol P400 model with a mild-hybrid Ingenium engine, giving the car a 0-60mph time of 5.1 seconds and a maximum of 155mph.
In top-but-one R-Dynamic SE
specification, it’s priced from £61,115 – although the new F-PACE line-up can be had from £40,860, which will buy a 163PS diesel.
Fuel consumption on the P400 is rated at 28.8mpg, with emissions of 221g/km, and over a similar route to the XF we achieved a credible 25.7 to the gallon.
All the newcomers have nine-speed auto gearboxes allied to paddle shifters for sporty manual selections and the transmission is a gem on the move, with multi-mode drive programmes to get the best out of the performance.
Features such as head-up displays, wireless phone chargers and a new active noise cancellation system for the cabin can be had – and so can JLR’s Clearsight rearview camera system, which replaces the standard view in the mirror.
It’s all very state-of-the-art and beautifully crafted in true Jaguar fashion.
With a full range of powertrain options – including electrified plug-in hybrids – available, both the XF and the F-PACE remain “top of the tree” models in their respective sectors and good enough to give any German rival a run for its money.
The changes may appear to be subtle but they pack a punch when it comes to all-round appeal and make Jaguar’s evolution as special as it always has been.