Jaguar XF 3.0 S/C V6 Premium Luxury Review: Old cat, new tricks

What we like:

The timeless design

trademark Jaguar exhaust note and both the interior comfort and design.

What we dislike:

Lacks steering feel despite being accurate.

The biggest change in this latest model is in the engine. Featuring a 3.0-litre V6 with a Roots derived supercharger unit. This new engine is meant as a replacement for the less efficient 4.2-litre V8.

While this new engine lacks the raw bark of the previous V8 at start up, you will still find it hard to ignore the V6’s raspy growl when you push that start button. Although down on both power and torque, this new engine still churns out a decent 335bhp and an earth moving 450Nm of torque.

Reigning in this wild cat is an all-new 8-speed transmission. Moving off from the garage, the engine is smooth with the steering weight light but accurate. But give the V6 a boot of throttle and it comes alive as the needle sweeps past 3,000 rpm with the supercharger announcing its presence as revs build.

Power delivery is smooth and robust with the century sprint despatched at a brisk 5.9 seconds. Impressive for something that tips the scales at 1770kg.

In the bends, the steering remains accurate but feels overservoed. Despite having less ponies compared to the previous V8, this supercharged cat proves quite capable of overwhelming its rear wheel traction on corner exit.

When driven sensibly, the Jag maintains aristocratic serenity in the cabin at average cruising speeds. Ride is smooth as the multi-link rear suspension manages to deflect the awkward bumps and dips away from the cabin.

Unlike most start/stop systems, the one fitted in this Jag is much less intrusive. Using what Jaguar calls a Twin Solenoid Starter mechanism, the engine is able to restart much faster than the time it takes for your foot to alternate from the brake pedal to the accelerator.

Despite its age, the XF remains one of our favourites for its timeless design and high tech aristocratic interior. It also gains an improved fuel consumption over the previous V8 powered version at 10.4km/L.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline