A giant leap for the Big Cat

Jaguar has made huge advances with the new diesel power plant for its XF range. Motoring editor Peter Carroll puts it through its paces.

The credit crunch continues to bite, jobs are going everywere, and the recession continues to exert a malign effect on economies across the world.

All in all, a pretty terrible time to be launching any new car, let alone an upmarket model like Jaguar's new XF Diesel.

Yet, if anything, the team behind the latest Leaping Cat model appear more upbeat than they were at the glitzy premiere of the XF in Monte Carlo a year ago.

Why? Because there's a discernible sense that the car is now 'right' - and fit to take on the best that the competition can offer.

Not that there was too much wrong with the XF in the first place: the replacement for the S-Type built on the trail blazed by the XK as a modern Jaguar for the 21st century. It looked sharp, came with a stylish interior and drove well too.

However, some felt the diesel model was slightly underpowered for a Jag.

Not anymore. That Peugeot-sourced 2.7 power plant has now been discontinued and replaced with a more capable three-litre, twin-trubocharged diesel, which will be available in two versions from the end of this month.

The standard model develops 240PS and is over a second quicker to 60mph than the outgoing engine.

Then there's the tweaked 275PS Diesel S engine which really can motor and is expected to account for 40 per cent of all XF sales, despite costing an extra £3,000 to put on the road.

Some major advances have been made here: compared with the 2.7 unit, the Diesel S is 33 per cent more powerful and has 38 per cent more torque.

This is available where you need it, low down in the rev range. The S can hit 60mph in under six seconds, putting it at or very near the top of its class.

The upshot is that the Diesel S feels like a Jag should: lively and sporting. Overtaking is a straightforward, painless affair and motorway cruising is effortless.

Nor has fuel economy been sacrificed to produce this extra performance. The Diesel S is capable of returning 42mpg on the combined cycle - an improvement of 11 per cent over the old engine.

Bear in mind, however, that you will struggle to get anywhere near this figure if you make the most of the extra performance on offer.

The transmission is automatic only and it's a good system: I rarely felt the need to employ the manual paddle shifters.

The XF is a big car and heavier than some of its competitors - yet it feels light and lithe on the road. Handling is excellent with tremendous levels of grip.

Drivers can vary the chassis set-up thanks to the JaguarDrive Control feature, which has three settings.

There's a regular set-up for normal road conditions, a Winter mode for icy or very wet roads and a Dynamic setting which gives a sharper throttle response and increases the response rates of the dampers.

An even firmer setting would provide more control of roll for aggressive driving on twisty routes but this is not an out and out sports car and Jaguar's aim has been to strike a balance between refinement and sporting character.

The XF's interior, with its swivelling air vents and slowly rising gear knob, is in stark contrast to the more sober-suited cabins of the German competition. Leather seats and sat nav are standard - even on the base model.

The Diesel S is priced between the BMW 330d and 335d but has a far higher level of standard features for £36,900.

And those who don't require the extra performance can pick up the lower powered three litre diesel for £33,900.

The XF Diesel will not have universal appeal, particularly in America, where 'oil burners' are still shunned by the majority of drivers.

But Jaguar has a new car for this market too in the form of its five-litre V8 petrol powered XF.

The new engine replaces the venerable 4.2 litre V8 which has served the Leaping Cat brand for years.

Again the emphasis has been placed on lowdown torque and there's the added bonus of a sublime V8 'roar' too.

Whether in petrol, or more especially, diesel form there is a case for arguing that this is the car the XF should have been all along.

And I suspect that it will do very well, if and when we pull out of this recession.

By Peter Carroll

FACT FILE:

Model: Jaguar XF Diesel S

Price: From £36,900 on the roadEngine: 2,993cc, V6, dieselPower: 275PSTransmission: Six speed automatic, rear wheel drivePerformance: 0-62mph in 6.4 secondsTop speed: 149mphEconomy: 42mpg on combined cycleCO2 emissions: 179g/kmLength: 4,961mmWeight: 1,820kgInsurance group: 18Servicing: 16,000 milesWarranty: Three years/unlimited miles