Jaguar XFR 2009 Review

Jaguar XFR

Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $208,450
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): nil
Crash rating: Not tested
Fuel: 95 RON (98 RON recommended)
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 12.5
CO2 emissions (g/km): 292
Also consider: BMW M5, Audi RS6 , Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

Overall rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 5.0/5.0

About our ratings

For so long Jaguar was a car company that traded solely on its past. In fact, there was a time when many began to wonder if they would ever snap out of it and begin creating compelling cars again. Then came the new XF and with it a new era for Jaguar; and not just because it came at the same time Indian firm Tata took ownership of the brand.

Instead of following the worn out footsteps of the retro-themed S-Type, Jaguar's chief designer Ian Callum had free reign to create fresh new styling as well as giving the engineers scope to renew the mechanical aspects of the car.

As the youngest member of the Carsales Network team I've always known Jaguar as a brand for, how shall I put this, the more experienced members of society. It seemed to me that Jaguar was a car company living in the past. But after spending a week in the new XFR those thoughts are put to rest in no uncertain terms.

Finished in 'Ultimate Black' the XFR looks brilliant, even standing still. Callum and his team have done a great job both outside and in. The swooping lines, low-slung roofline and well-proportioned body combine perfectly to give Jaguar a thoroughly modern look.

The interior is quite simply one of the very best on the market today. The designers have not only brought the exterior into the 21st Century but the cabin as well. Every aspect of the interior from the design, materials and functionality has been thoroughly thought through.

Leather, aluminium and wood are the dominant materials, while the design is focussed on combining simplicity of use with simple but stylish lines. It is so good it stands well apart from its German and Japanese competitors.

The touchscreen in the centre of the dash controls the stereo, climate control, navigation and other functions. What it lacks in terms of gadgetry, it makes up for with ease of use.

Then there is the much talked about rotary gearshift that rises from the centre console when the car starts. While it could be easily dismissed as a gimmick, having lived with it for a week it proved a nice touch that was intuitive to use. Another highlight are the buttons on the steering wheel to control the stereo and cruise control that feel great to the touch.

Given that the interior is where you spend your time Jaguar has done a great job getting it right. Too often great looking cars on the outside are let down by interiors that fail to match up -- the XFR is certainly not in that crowd.

Push the pulsing start button and the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 fires into action with an impressive bark. Even if you can't feel or hear the supercharger when you are driving there is no missing that it's there. Jaguar has the word carved into the wheels, bonnet louvers and on the dials.

All the 'Supercharged' logos aren't for show with the British V8 pumping out an impressive 375kW and 625Nm. That's enough to put it ahead of the V10 found in the BMW M5 (373kW/520Nm) and not too far behind the bonkers twin-turbo V10 installed Audi RS6 that pumps out 426kW and 650Nm.

And it's the second figure that really counts, because torque more than power is what is important in these super sedans. The Jaguar has tremendous punch in the midrange that means shove-you-back-in-your-seat acceleration is never far away.

The six-speed automatic gearbox is a nice unit, but the addition of a seventh cog could have helped improve fuel economy. Indeed, fuel consumption was a blight on the XFR during our time with it. Despite a 69.5-litre tank and fuel economy hovering in the mid-teens (around 13.5L/100km) the fuel gauge seemed to drop at an alarmingly rapid rate. Usually during a seven-day road test this author manages to avoid a stop at the service station, or make a single fill-up. But the XFR required two visits to get through the week, which was surprising because 13.5L is a commendable figure for such a powerful car primarily tackling the urban grind.

It is not just Jaguar's designers and engine builders that have done a good job with the XFR, the chassis and suspension engineers have also earned their pay bringing the brand into the 21st century with a very well sorted package.

The XFR manages to largely hide its weight and size when pushing on. Through faster, flowing corners the XFR felt well balanced and planted on the road. In slower sections of road, where change of direction is vital, the XFR didn't feel quite as impressive. Another minor quibble is that the steering, although nicely weighted, could provide more feedback for a better experience.

On-the-limit performance ultimately falls just short of what you expect from the dynamic benchmark, the M5, but the XFR seems to have found a better balance between performance and comfort that these sports sedans require.

What stands out most of all is the ride quality, which is critical given that most XFR owners will likely spend a great deal of time in and around rough city roads. The engineers have managed to make the ride comfortable despite rolling on 20-inch wheels. Indeed, it is rare to find a car on such large rims ride so well. Not once during a week in the car did this author find the ride uncomfortably firm.

But in the end the biggest appeal of the XFR is that it is a Jaguar. Given the brand's difficulties over the past few decades with its attempts to recapture its glory days, Jaguar sightings on the road have become a much rarer occurrence.

The new XFR not only heralds the return of Jaguar as a relevant brand again but gives buyers a choice of premium performance sedan that doesn't come from Germany or Japan. A brilliant all-round performer, it manages to walk the fine line between performance, comfort and style better than any other sports sedan on the market.

If this is what we can expect from Jaguar from now on, it is clear it's a brand for the future and not the past.

Read our launch review of the

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