It's Here and It's Going To Absolutely Rock

By Michael Harvey, Contributor Email

Date posted: 11-18-2007


We're sitting in the back of the new 2009 Jaguar XF in the middle of nowhere and the three of us are talking about Jaguar's freshly rediscovered sense of confidence.

"Everything changed after the XK," says Richard Parry-Jones, the chief technical officer at Ford who is retiring this year. "The XK's success, internally and externally, gave everyone the right to believe again. I think what you see inside here are designers enjoying themselves again. There's a lovely sense of fun, even of irony in here."

As Parry-Jones says this, he lovingly fingers the little blood-red starter button, which by now has started to pulse gently. A slightly firmer push, and the 2008 Jaguar XF's 4.2-liter V8 engages and, as it does so, the fat circular knob that selects gears raises out of the console.

Parry-Jones pauses. "Well, maybe not quite irony yet."

Three Guys in North Wales
It doesn't matter whether you think the XF starting procedure is gently ironic or deeply symbolic, but the fact is that people have had fun in here. Consider the way the air vents spin around from within the blank fascia of the dashboard once the engine is switched on, or the Union Jack that overlays the touchscreen as the electronic systems come on line, or even the touch-sensitive lights with their pale-blue cocktail bar cast. Even the fact that there's more wood in here than ever before in a Jag (yes, despite the omnipresence of brushed aluminum trim).

But back to three men in a car. We're here not only with Parry-Jones — the man who revolutionized vehicle dynamics development at Ford (Queen Elizabeth made him a Commander of the British Empire, no less) — but also Mike Cross, our generation's answer to legendary Jaguar development driver Norman Dewis and the reason why Jaguars and Range Rovers ride and handle better than anything else.

These two gentlemen are driving gods, and so when they decided they were happy enough with the last development prototypes of the 2008 Jaguar XF to give us a little taste, we were able to ride along with them to Northern Wales, where the roads are demanding enough to trick all but the most well-sorted of cars.

A Great Place To Be
Don't ask us how we know, but we think this a great car that is delivered with great confidence. We're blown away by it. And we weren't at first.

It is, of course, an Ian Callum car, the latest shape from the designer who has become the official supplier of dreams for the bedroom walls of young boys, including such visions as the Aston Martin DB7, DB9, Vanquish and Vantage. The Jaguar XF is officially Callum's second Jaguar after the Jag XK, and it doesn't grab you like the Astons. Not immediately, anyhow.

But things change. We didn't feel our jaw drop when we first saw the XK, but now we can't pass one without turning our head and find ourselves stopped dead in our tracks, completely goggling lecherously at its sensual body. So we think you need to give the XF some time. It is just as good as the XK.

The key to seeing the spirit of Jaguar in the XF (and not a Lexus GS instead) is to look at the front and the rear of the car — in particular, the extremities of the nose and tail. Though it's not always apparent in pictures, there's a quite profoundly classical crest over the two outside headlights and then a whole bunch of the XK's DNA in the rear shoulders. Frame your view of the F's aggressively modern lines through the doors, and there's the new Jag shape we've been waiting God-only-knows how many years to see.

It's one of those things that just clicks — a kind of moment like, "My God, Miss Jones, you're beautiful." Mind you, we think those Golf GTI wheels are horrible.

Making Moves Like a Jaguar
Parry-Jones and Cross are here to sign off all the software that runs that lovely ZF-built six-speed automatic transmission, and once they're done, the steering might feel a little different and the springs and dampers could go a little this way, a little that. But this is diamond polishing. To be honest, the XF feels like it's 100 percent from the backseat.

The Jaguar XK is relevant here, because it has been the ride and handling benchmark for the XF. That's right, not the 5 Series or the E-Class or the Audi A6 or even the Lexus GS. Since the XF is meant to be a sport sedan through and through, what better car with which to compare it than a great GT? Where Ian Callum determined the XF's visual identity, Parry-Jones and Cross have established its dynamic one. Hell, we could be wrong, but we reckon it wipes the floor with the three Germans and the J-car.

We like a car that looks after us, and not just when we want to perfectly nail one of the motorway roundabouts down in Milton Keynes, near all the Formula 1 factories. We don't want our $70,000 sport sedan to feel like a $20,000 hatchback. Is that unreasonable? Not in Germany, it seems, where a devotion to "sporty feel" and some misplaced faith in the ride quality of run-flat tires has steered some German sport sedans down a path of ride and handling that's so singularly harsh that they've made us carsick.

Meanwhile, the Jaguar XF pulls away as quietly from rest as a Rolls-Royce Phantom. As first impressions go, this is good. Sorting out ride and handling is as much about the full sensory experience as the seat-of-the-pants experience. Parry-Jones and Cross tell me at length about the process of dialing out the noises that degrade the driving experience and dialing in those that enhance it. So while the XF sedan has less tire noise than the XK, there's actually more engine noise, at least in this car with its supercharged 4.2-liter V8.

Class With Character
It's no secret that this 4.2-liter V8, first introduced as the AJ-V8 in 1997, is no longer considered state-of-the-art. Now it sees service not only across the range of Jaguars but also Land Rovers. There are some major developments coming, but no one is saying exactly when. So it's easy to think of it as a hand-me-down, just as the chassis stuff the XK has inherited from the now-departed S-Type is also older technology.

Yet it's fair to say that by the end of its life, the S-Type had one of the best chassis in its class, and this engine deserves the same respect. We like it, although it's an iconoclast in a group that is powered by high-revving German clones. It unquestionably has got character, the one thing that the V8s from the A6, 5 Series, E-Class, and, God, the Lexus, so totally lack.

In fact, the XF oozes character, from the minute you first really see it in all its modern magnificence. This is a big car, the biggest in its class, yet it manages to look impressive, opulent, without ever looking overfed and privileged. Slip inside, switch on and witness the whole shift-lever ritual, and you're aware this isn't just a car with character, but one with a character you'll like.

Enjoy Yourself
Getting over your bashfulness, you grab that big fat shift knob, turn it to drive and off you go, and the V8 burbles like the Merlin V12 they used to stuff into Spitfire fighter planes on the same factory site where the XF is built. And then you bury the throttle.

And that's the bit you'll have to wait for. We're not allowed to talk about anything to do with driving this prototype, but let's just put it this way — it wasn't just the designers who had fun here.

But don't fret. The 2009 Jaguar XF is worth waiting for. It's going to be big.

The Modern Jaguar
By Michael Jordan, Executive Editor Email
Date posted: 12-14-2007


Even in the stark light of the Arizona desert, the skin of the 2009 Jaguar XF shimmers with a life that seems almost liquid. Next to it, any other sport sedan looks as cold and abstract as a lump of coal.

It always seems like the typical sport sedan is wagging its finger in your face, lecturing you about some sort of technology. Instead, the Jaguar XF isn't afraid to be simply beautiful, even pretty. And then it backs up its modern good looks with a 420-horsepower supercharged V8 that Jag says will get you to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds.

The 2009 Jaguar XF will completely reinvent the way you think about Jaguar. Of course, it does so by going back to the classic values that have always given Jaguar a lasting place in the imagination, the special magic that Audi, BMW, Cadillac and Lexus still shamelessly envy.

Why Not Be Beautiful?
The XF's chief designer Ian Callum first applied for a job in Jaguar design at age 12 as a kid in Dumfries, Scotland, and has longed for an opportunity to remake the brand ever since. And it looks as if he's successfully done so here, combining inspiration from the big book of historic Jaguar design cues (especially the 1959 Jaguar Mk. II) with current enthusiasm for a sedan adapted to a coupe roof line.

You can see the Jaguar XF's modernity in its profile, the way the front overhang has been pulled back, the wheelbase lengthened and then the arc of the roof adapted to very fast angles for the windshield and backlight (identical angles to those of the Jaguar XK coupe, in fact).

There's something of the Lexus GS in the XF's overall graphic, but the Jaguar's detailing makes the difference between beauty and abstraction, and you can see it in the modeling of the hood, the chrome surround for side windows, and even the use of the traditional Jaguar badges, the Growler and the Leaper. The XF has been a little juiced up for effect, but, really, this has been the Jaguar way since the original 1935 SS sports car.

The XF sits on a long 114.5-inch wheelbase, and the track measures 61.4 inches in front and a significantly wider 63.2 inches in the rear. At 195.3 inches long, 80.8 inches wide and 57.5 inches tall, the XF is a little larger than an Audi A6. The use of a wide range of high-strength steels helps deliver a very rigid body shell, and the suspension pieces come from the XK.

Power With Control
A sport sedan usually expresses itself with only its engine and tires, but the Jaguar XF sends us an entirely different message as we hurtle across the spare, high-desert landscape of Arizona. It is the chassis that tells the story here; light-footed and supple in the Jaguar fashion, yet with a greater degree of body control than you might expect from a Jaguar. The thick rim of the steering wheel fills your hands and the XF instinctively vectors down the highway.

There are two different versions of the XF, one with the normally aspirated Jaguar V8 and one with the supercharged version of the same power plant. In normally aspirated form, the DOHC 4.2-liter V8 develops 300 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 310 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm, and it works through a six-speed automatic transmission that Jaguar claims gets you to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and then does the quarter-mile in 14.9 seconds.

Once the V8 is fitted with a Roots-type supercharger, power climbs to 420 hp at 6,250 rpm and 413 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm, and Jaguar says it takes the car to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds and though the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds.

The same ZF-built six-speed transmission that does business in the Jaguar XK also is in place here. There's a mode for normal driving, a mode for sporting driving and a mode for the use of the shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel which blips the throttle on downshifts.

The most important thing here is the connection that's apparent between the engine and the transmission, a real change from the days not long ago when every Jaguar was cursed with a sloppy torque converter that seemed designed only to whip hydraulic fluid into a froth.

To Serve Man (and Woman, Too)
Jaguar interior designer Alister Whelan has rejected the cockpit-type conventions of sport sedans for an environment that envelops you in leather, aluminum and wood (more wood than in any other Jaguar ever built, in fact). The driver seat comes up to support you like a fine armchair, right down to the high, softly upholstered armrests. Yet the cowl ahead of you is very low to foster both a sense of interior spaciousness and the kind of down-the-road visibility you need in a car capable of an electronically limited 155 mph.

It's the fit between the human software and the machine-made hardware that makes the Jaguar XF so unique. The XF invites you to be a part of the experience. You see this in the much-discussed start button on the center console that pulses red in the lub-dub rhythm of a heartbeat when you enter the car, and then the way the unique rotary dial that controls the transmission rises out of the center console once the engine comes to life.

There's a touchscreen interface for the audio, climate and navigation system, so no console mouse is required. The buttons and switches for such things as the glovebox operate with proximity sensors. And despite the low coupe roof line, the rear doors are wide for good access and there's 37.6 inches of rear headroom (though only 36.6 inches of rear legroom).

The Jaguar XF has been designed in the spirit of modern product design, with a sense of ergonomic correctness that's enhanced by a sure sense of style. At the same time, there are also flashes of pure wit, like the blue lighting for the instrumentation that is meant to recall some vodka bar (and as the blue light's fuzzy contrast with the silver instrument faces proves, not very many smart decisions have been made in places where vodka is consumed).

Driving in the Jaguar Manner
When you roll out of the driveway in the XF, there's no telling where you'll decide to go. This car has the composure you expect from a Jaguar, the lively refinement that can take you 300 miles and deliver you still feeling fresh after your journey. And yet there's a stronger connection with the mechanical soul of the car than ever before, even compared to the Jaguar XK.

When you turn the steering wheel into a corner, the XF commits itself and you can feel the tires nibbling at the pavement. This is particularly true of the 20-inch Pirelli P Zero tires fitted to the supercharged XF, 255/35ZR20s in front and massive 285/30ZR20s in the rear. Yet even the standard XF's 245/40VR19 Dunlop SP Sport 01s offer reassuring steering response.

Once you select the transmission's Sport setting, you can rely on the automatic to give you sure throttle control, as it kicks down a gear so swiftly and intuitively that rarely do you feel obligated to use the steering wheel paddles. And when you get into the brakes (the supercharged model has larger front rotors), there's enough anti-dive dialed into the front suspension geometry that the car makes the transition into a corner in a coordinated, intuitive sweep to the apex.

Though you might not believe it, this car will carry a slide if that's what you're after. After all, it has been tuned by a team led by the legendary Mike Cross, Jaguar's longtime development chief. Justifiably famous for driving with the enthusiasm his name suggests, Cross recently entered his first drift competition and apparently was a little nonplussed to have finished only 3rd. Perhaps the judges were a little taken aback by Cross' choice for the competition, the luxurious long-wheelbase version of the Jaguar XJ sedan.

Saving Jaguar
The Jaguar XF makes different choices than most sport sedans, balancing response with smoothness, agility with comfort and reward with refinement. The XF has a kind of beautiful modernity, and it makes other sport sedans seem like crude, one-dimensional imitations of the real thing.

When the 2009 Jaguar XF appears in dealerships in March 2008, Ford will have concluded the sale of Jaguar to either an automotive company from India or a private equity company. It is the XF's task to save Jaguar, and it seems to be up to the task. In terms of pricing, there's value apparent in the three trim levels: the $49,975 XF Luxury, the $55,975 XF Premium Luxury and the fully equipped $62,975 Supercharged.

More important, the 2009 Jaguar XF also has a kind of value in the way it goes about its business. A Jaguar has always meant something more than simple mobility, and the XF is much the same. It is more luxury car than sport sedan, yet it holds all cars in this price range to a higher standard when it comes to dynamic poise and even utility as well as style. It's the kind of Jaguar you can believe in.

At the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed jaguar ran a pre-production XF-R up the hill prior to its debut later this year.

The car is likely to have the same V8 engine which supercharges the XKR up to 420 bhp and 413 ft lbs of torque.

The wait continues for exactly which car show Jaguar will choose to unveil its upcoming new XF series at.

But it's a sign that a debut is coming soon that they seem to be getting a little careless with concealing the new XF-R, running about without much camouflage, as evidenced here in these spy shots.

Distinguishing features are the air vents on the hood, large bumper air intakes and quad exhaust.

Speculation is that Jaguar will better the current 4.2 liter, 420 hp supercharged engine in the SV8 XF with a 5.0 liter, direct-injection power plant supplying more that 500 hp of pull.

Jaguar earned a lot of critical brownie points with the SV8 XF, which was largely viewed as a car true to the Jag heritage. Now, Jaguar seems serious about taking on the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz AMG E63. A gentlemanly British challenge to the dominance of the German premiums brands.

What a stunner! This is Jaguar’s new super coupé – a two-door sports car poised to take the Big Cat into uncharted territory by locking horns with the Audi A5 and BMW 3-Series Coupé.

Expanding the highly successful XF range, the new coupé will combine striking looks with real driver appeal by adding a dramatic body to the saloon’s sporty underpinnings.

As Auto Express revealed in Issue 1,039, the XF Coupé is a key part of a new model strategy by Jaguar’s parent company, Tata. The raft of sporty machines will include the model you see here, as well as a drop-top Roadster version and a two-seater rival to the Porsche Boxster.

While the two-seater is still some way from showrooms, both the Coupé and Roadster go on sale here in 2010 – and they promise to give other prestige firms some tough competition.

As you can see from our world exclusive pictures, the head-turning XF Coupé could do for Jaguar what the TT did for Audi. Taking much of its inspiration from design boss Ian Callum’s original C-XF concept car, it boasts a bold metal grille, piercing LED headlights and raised bonnet bulge, which hints at the power that lies beneath.

The overall result is a strong visual identity, giving the car a much more aggressive face than the XF saloon. The high waistline provides further solidity in profile, and when combined with a steeply raked rear window and raised bootlid, it looks muscular and athletic.

Inside, the cabin is set to be derived from the XF saloon’s, with touchscreens, a glovebox which opens at the wave of a hand and a hidden gear selector. That raised rear end should mean a big boot, while there will be generous space for two adults in the back.

Power will come from an updated range of petrol and diesel engines, which will debut in the XF next year. These include a 3.0-litre twin-turbodiesel and a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 for the flagship.

The latter also features in the forthcoming XFR. It pumps out 500bhp, and should propel the XF Coupé from 0-60mph in five seconds – making it a genuine rival for BMW’s M3 and the Audi S5.

All engines will be mated to Jaguar’s six-speed auto. Add in a sportier rear-wheel-drive set-up than in the XF, and it will be one of the most desirable Jaguars ever. Sales should kick off in 2010, with prices starting at around £35,000.

• The most advanced, powerful and efficient Jaguar diesel ever
• New 275PS high-performance XF Diesel S featuring Jaguar’s new AJ-V6D Gen III S 3.0-litre diesel engine delivers a massive 600Nm of torque
• 0-60mph in just 5.9 seconds, 50-70mph in just 3.2 seconds, a maximum speed of 155mph and yet combined fuel economy of just 42.0mpg – 12 percent better than the acclaimed 2.7-litre V6 diesel engine
• Emits just 179g/km – a 10 percent reduction in CO2. Conforms to EU5 emission regulations using conventional exhaust after-treatment
• 33 percent more powerful and 61 percent more torque from 1500rpm than the 2.7-litre V6 diesel

“With CO2 emissions of 179g/km, 42mpg average fuel economy and 0-60mph acceleration in 5.9 seconds, this is another great example of Jaguar delivering unrivalled performance while at the same time taking the level of refinement in diesel engines to a whole new level.”
Mick Mohan, Jaguar Programmes Director

When it was introduced last year, the XF was recognised as a dramatic expression of a bold new Jaguar design language. It also soon became apparent that here was a car where the driving experience exceeded the expectations created by the striking appearance. Now, the new XF Diesel S takes this driving experience to new levels, shifting the balance even further towards dynamic performance while still retaining the XF’s core values as a refined and luxurious sports saloon.

Distinguished by discreet ‘S’ badging, the car that defines Jaguar sporting luxury is even better for the 2010 model year, with a stunning new high-performance diesel. Powered by a 275PS engine, the Diesel S gives the XF outstanding levels of performance, accelerating from 0-60mph in just 5.9 seconds, 1.8 seconds quicker than the excellent 2.7-litre model. In-gear acceleration is equally impressive, with a 50-70mph time of just 3.2 seconds. Maximum speed is electronically limited to 155mph.

Featuring parallel sequential turbochargers to help deliver the high levels of power and torque seamlessly and with effortless flexibility, this engine is perfectly matched to Jaguar’s sophisticated six-speed ZF 6HP28 automatic transmission.

“The new parallel sequential turbocharger system on our new V6 diesel delivers V8 levels of performance from very low revs. It’s a power unit that offers superb flexibility and remarkably low fuel consumption and emissions, while building on the refinement that has become a trademark of our Jaguar diesel engines.”
Ron Lee, Group Chief Engineer, Powertrain

There is an equally impressive 240PS version of the new 3.0-litre engine available too, which produces 16 percent more power and a 15 percent increase in torque over the 2.7-litre diesel, allowing the XF to reach 60mph in 6.7 seconds. Its 50-70mph time of just 3.7 seconds is only fractionally slower than the 275PS Diesel S model. Maximum speed is 149mph. And like the 275PS engine, these great performance leaps are achieved with combined average fuel consumption of 42.0mpg – an improvement on the 2.7-litre diesel of over 10 percent – and a CO2 emissions rating of only 179g/km.

There are also significant trim and specification changes – including many new features – and the introduction of a new Portfolio derivative as part of the core range. For Jaguar and the new 2010 model year XF, the high-performance diesel has truly arrived. Pricing for the 2010 model year diesels – which will carry a premium over the current 2.7 – will be announced shortly.

The acclaimed XF 2.7 Diesel has won several accolades, including in the UK What Car magazine’s ‘Diesel Car of the Year’ and ‘Car of the Year’, What Diesel magazine’s ‘Diesel Car of the Year’ and the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers’ Best Diesel of 2008. Additionally, the XJ 2.7-litre Diesel was also named Britain’s greenest luxury car in the Environmental Transport Association’s 2008 Car Buyers Guide for the second year running.

THE NEW AJ-V6D GEN III ENGINE - IN DETAIL

Drawing on the experience gained in designing the original, acclaimed 2.7-litre engine, the new 3.0-litre AJ-V6D Gen III diesels demonstrate that it is possible to deliver improved performance, while reducing CO2 emissions and fuel economy. In the XF, the new engine produces 10 percent less CO2 than the 2.7-litre, while power has increased by 33 percent in Diesel S guise. As well as tackling CO2, the new 3.0-litre engines meet the forthcoming EU5 regulations, due to come into force at the start of 2011. And these great performance leaps are achieved with combined average fuel consumption in both models of 42.0mpg – an improvement on the 2.7-litre engine of 12 percent.

Twin-turbos – maximum efficiency, instant response

A key feature of the new engine is the unique, parallel sequential turbocharger system, the first of its type to be fitted to a V-engine anywhere in the world.

Delivering high torque throughout the entire engine rev range, improved throttle response and low CO2 emissions, the twin-turbochargers work sequentially to deliver unrivalled response and best-in-class torque – an impressive 61 percent more than the 2.7-litre diesel from 1500rpm – while packing a huge punch at higher engine speeds.

For most day-to-day driving, including motorway cruising, a responsive, variable-geometry primary turbocharger does all the work, while the smaller, fixed-geometry, secondary turbo is dormant, saving energy and improving efficiency. When the engine revs climb above 2800rpm, the secondary turbo is brought on line within 300 milliseconds, smoothly and seamlessly boosting the engine output with no discernible turbo-lag or power-step.

Driving a turbocharger requires pressure from the exhaust, creating pumping losses in the engine and increasing fuel consumption. To alleviate this, valves under the control of the engine management system isolate the secondary turbocharger both from the exhaust stream and the engine inlet tract when it is not required.

Some twin-turbo systems rely on a smaller turbo for primary use, only using a larger turbo when higher power is required. Though effective, this has the disadvantage of raised exhaust pressure and increased pumping losses. The Jaguar system uses a larger, variable-geometry turbocharger more of the time, which not only reduces pumping losses, but also improves fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Jaguar engineers particularly focussed on the issue of turbocharger ‘lag’ at low engine speeds. The new AJ-V6D Gen III 3.0-litre diesels significantly out-perform their rivals by delivering 500Nm of torque in only 500 milliseconds from idle.

Third-generation commonrail

A new commonrail fuel-injection system delivers up to five injections on each cycle at a pressure of 2000bar. Each injector tip is perforated by seven holes through which finely atomised fuel is sprayed into the cylinders. The high-pressure injection increases power, improves economy and reduces both CO2 and particulate emissions. New, third-generation high-speed piezo injectors allow up to five precise injection events during each combustion cycle, minimising engine combustion noise.

Piezo crystal ‘packs’ operate each injector by expanding when an electric current is passed through them. They react virtually instantaneously but can make a distinctive click when fired, which can add to diesel engine noise at idle. The crystals in Jaguar’s new injectors are fitted nearer the tip, meaning they are mounted deeper inside the engine providing better sound insulation and quieter operation.

Another new feature of the third-generation fuel-injection system is the metering mode. Traditional diesel commonrail fuel pumps oversupply the injectors, with the surplus being returned to the fuel tank. During this process, fuel temperature increases and cooling it again consumes considerable amounts of energy. In metering mode, the pump delivers fuel to the injectors only at the rate required. Consequentially, there is no rise in fuel temperature and no wasted energy.

Compact, light and clean

The two cylinder heads, with four valves per cylinder, are made from aluminium and the cylinder block is made from compact graphite iron (CGI). The higher tensile strength of CGI makes it possible to cast a smaller block; some 80mm shorter than a conventional ‘grey’ cast iron equivalent.

The new, water-cooled, exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR), important for reducing pumping losses and emissions of NOX in a diesel engine, is more efficient and consumes less power than the 2.7-litre unit. The valves that allow exhaust gas into the system are located on the ‘hot side’ of the engine nearest the exhaust manifolds; these valves never cool while the engine is running, so there is no condensation of combustion deposits which occurs on engines fitted with ‘cold side’ valves, hence the EGR system always works at maximum efficiency. Since the EGR cooling is so effective, exhaust gasses can bypass the system and return to the exhaust pipes, allowing faster engine warm-up from start-up and reducing emissions still further.

EU5 emissions regulations have been achieved ahead of the 2011 legislative timetable using conventional diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate filters (DPFs). NOX levels are reduced at source through the combustion system design, the addition of the new commonrail injection system and the new EGR system with by-pass. As a result, specialised NOX exhaust after-treatment is unnecessary, avoiding a potential cost and the need to use additional precious metals in the exhaust system.

Remarkably quiet for a diesel

The CGI cylinder block and new piezo injectors reduce combustion noise in the engine. Multiple, precise injections of fuel on the combustion stroke also reduce combustion noise and all engine covers including camshaft covers, front covers and the sump have been optimised to subdue radiated noise. Engine enclosures have been ribbed to minimise radiated noise and the sump pan is manufactured from sound deadening steel (SDS), comprising a polymer layer sandwiched between two layers of steel.

Internal friction, a major contributor to unnecessary fuel consumption, has been addressed by careful optimisation of the crankshaft, valves and pistons. All these features combine to make the new Jaguar AJ-V6D Gen III engines amongst the quietest premium diesels on the market.

A major step forward

With its parallel sequential turbocharger system, third-generation commonrail fuel injection system and fully optimised EGR system, the new 3.0-litre AJ-V6D Gen III diesel sets new class standards when it comes to power, response and refinement in the premium diesel segment.

“The new XF challenges the rules and redefines Jaguar sporting luxury. Our designers and engineers have worked together to develop elegant, inspired solutions to complex technical challenges. It’s a simple but very effective philosophy and the result is great new products like the new 3.0-litre diesel XF.”
Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars