Jaguar XF

Jaguar started with a completely fresh sheet of paper to design the XF – the long-awaited replacement for the largely unloved nine year-old S-Type, which never really lived up to expectations for the British company.

In terms of style, the coupe-like XF is the first clean-sheet Jaguar sedan to be created by acclaimed stylist Ian Callum, a man whose special passion for the British marque is even more famous than his previous work with TWR and Aston Martin.

Unlike the S-Type and also the X-Type, the bold XF does not hark back to past glories and looks entirely contemporary and distinctive from its German and Japanese rivals, though with a grille that immediately defines it as a Jaguar.

Inside, the XF blends modern materials and technical features – including the innovative JaguarDrive transmission selector for the first time in a saloon – with a taste of classic British formality.

The push-button JaguarDrive control is used to select gears with the standard six-speed semi-automatic transmission, as used in the XK. No regular manual gearbox is offered.

Jaguar Australia launched the XF with a choice of four engines – a 152kW/435Nm 2.7-litre V6 turbo-diesel ($105,500), a 175kW/293Nm 3.0-litre V6 petrol (also $105,500), a 219kW/411Nm 4.2-litre V8 petrol ($130,500) and a 306kW/560Nm 4.2-litre supercharged V8 ($166,700).

The XF rides on a 2909mm wheelbase, is 4961mm long, 1877mm wide and 1460mm high – making it bigger than the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Audi A6 and Lexus GS.