NEW YORK AUTO SHOW: 2012 Jaguar XF arriving October

Jaguar's best selling model in Australia, the XF, is on the cusp of a major upgrade for the 2012 model year.

The Carsales Network can confirm the new-look 2012 Jaguar XF range will arrive in Australia in October, and will see the inclusion of a new ultra-green 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine option, which will be 'competitively' priced to rival models such as the $83,300 BMW 520d and $81,472 Mercedes Benz E220 CDI.

Speaking at the New York Auto Show, Jaguar Australia's Brand Manager, Kevin Goult, said the new 2012 Jaguar XF will inject new energy and life into the medium-sized luxury car, and has the potential to attract a younger demographic with a price point that will "raise a few eyebrows".

"We want to use this car as an opportunity to introduce a very competitive price point," Goult stated. "We haven't got the pricing completely signed off, but it will certainly be very competitive and amongst the [price] leaders in that class, and it does open a new door for people to come in and consider Jaguar.

"In terms of where it will position us, if we get the pricing that we want, people will look at it and think Jaguar is a choice, it's a very strong choice. At the moment our most affordable car is the $99,990 drive-away V6 petrol XF, and our target is to be below that.

"In terms of our announcement in Australia, we will debut a 2012 model year XF in Australia in July this year at the Melbourne motor show, and we'll look to announce the pricing in early to mid August, and at that point we'll make a full announcement on what the 2012 XF model year line-up will be. Then we'll have journalists drive it in late September or early October, with customers getting their cars in October."

Details have not been officially announced, but sources inside Jaguar suggest that the new model will show off a cleaner, more contemporary front end design with new headlights to be the focal point, mimicking those seen on the XJ luxo-barge.

The interior is rumoured to be due for a modest revamp that will see the light of day alongside the 2012 XF's new 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine option. With output figures of around 140kW/450Nm and fuel consumption of just 5.4L/100km thanks to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the new look entry-level Jaguar XF 2.2 D is shaping up to be an intriguing new model.

The new 2.2-litre engine may even wind up being a diesel-electric hybrid and could also find its way into upcoming models, including a possible replacement for the Jaguar X-Type, a small luxury sedan that would rival the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

"Our aspirations would be to look at putting this engine into other models as we go through the next few years of product development," said Goult. "Our smallest car is the XF and we're continuously looking for better ways to increase fuel economy and reduce CO2 levels and we've got to answer the very difficult question, which is the hybrid question. So it could be that this engine will be used in a lighter car, a smaller application [in the future] -- that's perfectly feasible."

Jaguar Australia's Brand Manager said the new entry-level Jaguar XF 2.2 D will provide a very competitive alternative to what the Germans produce. "What I want this to do for Jaguar for a brand in Australia is to question people's logic as to why they haven't bought a diesel before. It gives us an opportunity to perhaps think of new ways to compete against our competition. We know that Mercedes has a huge slice of the segment, and it's time for the Brits to win some market share back and I think that's what we'll do with the entire 2012 model year range, not just the new diesel engine. The engine is part of the 2012 model year story, but what we see at NY will give us the full detail."

Stay tuned for the official reveal of Jaguar's new 2012 XF from the New York Auto Show.

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