Jaguar Oz prices XF from $105,500

LAST week Jaguar Australia revealed full pricing and specifications for its upgraded X-Type entry-level sedan due on sale here mid-year, and now it has announced pricing and a four-engine line-up for its redesigned large sedan, the XF.

On sale here from June, the S-Type replacement will carry an opening price of $105,500, for both the 2.7-litre diesel V6 Luxury and the 3.0-litre petrol V6 Luxury.

The new entry-level XF variants will replace the S-Type 3.0 Luxury ($102,490) and the S-Type 2.7 Luxury diesel ($103,990). The latter's engine carries over in the new XF, and is claimed to be one of the most refined diesels in its class.

Also on offer will be the XF 4.2-litre petrol V8 Premium Luxury, priced at $130,500, and the range-topping XF 4.2-litre SV8, priced at $166,700 and packing a supercharged 306kW V8.

All variants will come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission with the new JaguarDrive rotary-shift interface and the Jaguar Sequential SHift System, which comprises steering wheel shift paddles.

Jaguar says Australian dealers have already taken close to 200 pre-orders for the new XF - the majority of which represent conquest sales, far exceeding its own expectations more than three months ahead of launch.

"The interest in XF - before anybody in this country has even driven the car - has been very satisfying," said Jaguar Australia general manager Dorian Lapthorne.

"If things continue in this way, we may have sold out our entire 2008 allocation before a single vehicle is on the road here.

"What is also encouraging is that the XF is attracting a new group of customers to the Jaguar brand: more than three-quarters of those who are contacting us about XF have never owned a Jaguar before."

2008 Jaguar XF pricing:

2.7-litre V6 Diesel Luxury (a) - $105,500
3.0-litre V6 Petrol Luxury (a) - $105,500
4.2-litre V8 Petrol Premium Luxury (a) - $130,500
4.2-litre Supercharged V8 SV8 (a) - $166,700