Jaguar XF 2.2D 2011 Review

Price Guide (Driveaway): $84,990
Options fitted (not included in above price): Front park aid & rear camera $1390, Mirror pack $1570, 6x6 way seats $440, Split-fold rear seat $1000, carpet mats $350, keyless entry $950, 18-inch Vela alloy wheels $2490, Rosewood veneer $320, sunroof $3920
Crash rating: Four-star (Euro NCAP)
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 5.4
CO2 emissions (g/km): 149
Also consider: Audi A6 2.0 TDI, BMW 520d, Mercedes-Benz E 220 CDI

Jaguar has had to shed many of its iconic brand traits on the way out of financial calamity. In the recent past the company has introduced a front-wheel drive model, retro styling, diesel power and now... a four-cylinder.

The XF 2.2D delivers a lower-stratum entry-level vehicle to compete directly with four-cylinder diesels already in the market, courtesy of the three amigos from Germany. To develop this car, Indian-owned Jaguar has sourced a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel from Peugeot, a company already involved with the British luxury brand for the joint manufacture and supply of V6 diesels powering XF, XJ and Land Rover models.

Naturally, in creating a new model to go downmarket, the manufacturer has had to cut loose some items fitted as standard in other variants. But the 2.2D is largely specified as for the petrol V6 variant and the only features that might be readily missed — from the V6 diesel variant — are the six-way seat adjustment and the carpet mats, both fitted as options in the test vehicle anyway.

Despite the optional inclusions, the interior of the XF 2.2D on test seemed a little more spartan than we're accustomed to seeing in an XF, but the core elements of the design that set the XF apart from its competitors remain.

There were the vents that rotate closed with the engine shutting down and the rotary gear selector that sinks into the centre console. In the vehicle tested the dimpled aluminium finish and the charcoal leather dashtop with contrasting stitching were also present, but the overall ambience seemed a bit more basic, courtesy of the cream leather and suede combination used to upholster the seats and the (optional) Rosewood veneer trim. The woodgrain is not chintzy, as some woodgrain veneers can be; it's a subtle and soothing colour in keeping with the car's interior ambience. But its very subtlety is what some might call 'drab'.

However prospective buyers might respond to the colour and trim combo, they're likely to be won over by the XF's driving position, which achieves a very high standard for ergonomic function and convenience. Switching from Drive to Sport by pressing down the gear selector dial and turning clockwise can be accomplished without taking eyes off the road even for a second. The dial is just there where you expect it to be and demands no more spatial awareness than placing your finger on your nose. Other than the indicator stalk on the left of the steering column the Jaguar is a really easy prestige car to just step into and drive. It's tempting to think, after climbing out of the XF, that the car's interior designers were given a specific brief for a cockpit where Audi, BMW and Benz drivers would all feel right at home... immediately.

There's no single-point controller though, and the touchscreen seems less intuitive to use than the screen used in the pre-facelift XF. That unit was a model of simplicity. This one, in the updated Jag... not so much. The graphics are busier and the location of some menu items works against straightforward navigation. Mostly though, the ease of use for the switchgear and instruments in the Jaguar is beyond reproach.

Seats are worthy of high praise also. Jaguar's designers have found an ideal balance of comfort and support. Taking a seat in the XF is just like climbing in and out of any other vehicle, except you notice how well they keep you from slithering around during cornering or under brakes, but the cushioning is by no means rock hard or too soggy either. Returning to the ergonomics once more, the seats can be adjusted easily and quickly for an optimal view of the instruments and the road ahead, plus easy reach for all the major controls.

The packaging of the XF remains largely as it was in the past, when this reviewer sampled the 3.0-litre V6 diesel and the 4.2-litre V8 variants. Legroom in the rear is not so very generous for a car of the XF's ample footprint, but it's adequate for adults and up to par for kids. Headroom is at a slight premium, both front and back, as a consequence of the optional sunroof fitted. Only those who are significantly taller than 180cm will find it a problem however.

Other than the relative lack of equipment in this car, the major point of difference between the XF 2.2D and its siblings is the Peugeot-sourced diesel four-cylinder, coupled to an eight-speed (ZF) automatic transmission. Fuel consumption, according to the car's trip computer, was 10.8L/100km, which is quite commendable, given the Jaguar spent almost no time at all on the open road. It's a fairly big car — and heavy — for a 2.2-litre diesel to push around.

So the cheapest XF in the range is no fireball, it's more your Burmese domestic gone feral, rather than a Jaguar, per se. But with a combination of powerful brakes, talkative steering that's also responsive, and large reserves of roadholding, the Jaguar can be a quick car from point to point. It also manages to cover ground without pummelling the driver to a bloody pulp. Ride comfort is not especially soft, but it will glide over smaller bumps and soak up some of the heavier hits with surprising equanimity. The rear suspension seems to have been tuned more for comfort than the front suspension has been and, given enough lateral G forces, the rear does feel prepared to surrender to physics. However, the suspension geometry and electronic safety nannies do keep everything in check. The front suspension gives away little to the rear in ride comfort, but ultimately conveys a sense of unyielding grip.

If the Peugeot diesel is underwhelming in a car as capable as the XF, there is this to say in its favour: It's a diesel that sounds better than many petrol engines around. Sure, you'll be able to pick it as a diesel, but from 2000 to the 4000rpm redline the 2.2 sounds like a more refined petrol four-cylinder. Below 2000rpm it does struggle to achieve the refinement of Audi's 2.0-litre turbodiesel powering the A6. In the Jag, by contrast with the Audi, the engine labours and vibrates at 1500rpm if the transmission refuses to kick down on moderate grades. And there are other times when it sounds distinctly diesel-like; not the diesel clatter of indirect injection days, perhaps, but diesel nonetheless.

However, the XF with the 2.2-litre engine is fundamentally quiet on the open road. Cruising at the 100km/h limit there's a slight rustle from the wind and a very subdued undertone that's part drivetrain rumble and part road noise, but the NVH is exemplary and it's hard to pick the road noise from the drivetrain.

There are many things, such as noise suppression, that the Jaguar does quite well, and yet there are some traits of the XF with the four-cylinder turbodiesel that aren't up to the standard of its German rivals. But as always with a Jaguar, even this entry-level XF variant has soul and winning style. For a lot of prospective buyers, that's 'Game Over'.

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