SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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We drive Jaguar’s supercharged 3.0 XF-R Sport for 2015

A better bet

Posted: 30 October 2015

The numbers
Base price: R821 500
Engine: 2995 cc, V6 DOHC, 24-valve, supercharged
Power: 250 kW at 6500 rpm
Maximum torque: 450 Nm between 3500 and 5000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 5.9 seconds
Maximum speed: 250 km/h (governed)
Real life fuel consumption: About 12.3 l/100 km
Tank: 70.1 litres                                                                                                     Luggage volume: 505 litres (with spacesaver)
Warranty: 3 years / 100 000 km with roadside assistance
Maintenance: 5 years / 100 000 km

Remember when VW was using up its remaining stockpile of Golf Mk 1 bodies and engines? A new, slightly facelifted, model was announced practically every month until they got rid of them all and could concentrate on its slightly-less-budget replacement, the Polo Vivo.

The subject of this review is a  bit like that. Jaguar’s XF has been around since 2008. It either thrilled or shocked everyone who saw it at the time – those vents that fold themselves open; the twiddly gear knob that rises, phoenix-like, from hidden depths and the starter button that throbs challengingly until you dare to stab it.

They also loved and hated in equal measure its completely new styling that said “good-bye, Ford rebadges and old men’s cars of the past.” Some of its technology drew almost universal displeasure, however. Remember that virtual knob that supposedly opened the glove box lid - provided you could successfully hover your finger at just the right distance from it? It hardly ever worked and was eventually replaced by a proper button, thank goodness.

XF went on to sell by the shipload and was instrumental in saving the big cat from being declawed forever.
 
But it’s time for a change. The new XF has been announced already and will probably reach us here as a 2017 model. Highlights are more aluminium, that translates into less weight (up to 190 kg less), a slightly shorter body on a longer wheelbase that translates into better rear seat leg room, and some clever redesign that equals more headspace while keeping its body profile low.

A facelift, LED lights and a more user-friendly driver-to-toys interface are part of the package. Thank heavens for that. Having to ask the computer’s permission to turn on the air, and again to switch the direction of  vents each time the weather changes from foggy to warm, gets to be a pain.

All the above vary between ‘nice” and “needed,” although we aren’t happy to see the gimmicky rotary gear knob remaining. It should have been sent off on pension along with that cubby button. A sporty car needs a real gear stick with a proper Tiptronic-style Sport-Manual slot. Gearshift paddles are for pretentious poseurs and wannabe F1 drivers. They have no place in real cars. There; that feels better.

Let’s get back to the subject at hand. The current XF-R Sport is a slightly re-kitted version of the 3.0-litre Premium Luxury model that costs just under R80 000 more. In line with usual JLR parlance, “Sport” does not mean sportier or faster. Look at the Range Rover Sport; not only smaller, but essentially a stripped down version for purists, of the big-body Range Rover, to get the idea. The XF-R Sport is, similarly, no real challenger to the original XF-Rs with their muscly V8s.

So what do we get with this car? Apart from the 250 kW and 450 Nm engine, eight-speed autobox, six airbags, dynamic (see later) and snow settings and the usual safety electronics, the Sport adds stop-start functionality, an exterior body styling kit with Sport front bumper, R side sills, rear spoiler, black window surrounds, Bi-Xenon headlamps, wicked red backgrounds for the growlers on the wheel centre caps and R-Sport badging on the side power vents.

Inside, the sporting theme continues with an R-Sport badge on the steering wheel, piano black accents and bright stainless steel pedals. Upholstery features six-way Bond grain leather seats with suedette inserts and Bond grain upper fascia. A 7” touch-screen, parking aids, 250-Watt sound system with Bluetooth audio streaming, and keyless entry are there too.

If you expect real sports seats with full Bond grain leather, tilt function, heating, under-thigh extenders, four-way lumbar adjustment and two memory settings for the driver, your accountant will need to find you a further R22 100 for the R-Sport Interior Pack.

Options added to the test rig included a reversing camera at R5300, an upgraded 825-Watt Meridian surround sound system (R14 800), 20” satin-chromed Hydra wheels with 255/30 summer tyres (R23 200) and adaptive dynamics at R16 600. This provides continuously variable damping for more comfortable and agile handling performance.

To explain something mentioned earlier: “Dynamic Mode co-ordinates the car's control systems to deliver a high performance driving experience. When selected, the transmission switches to manual and Trac DSC (dynamic stability control) is automatically engaged.” And that means? “Trac DSC optimises DSC settings for maximum traction in difficult conditions such as packed snow. Its less restrictive settings also enable a more involving and focussed driving experience,” says the book. Now you know. It dials in a bit of Clarkson.

Whatever the case, the willing and torquey V6, together with dynamic mode and manual override, despite the pretentious paddles, provides a brilliant and involving driving experience. And it delivers with Soul. A dedicated vinyl record fan might describe it sonically as “depth, presence and air." It’s what makes a Jaguar a Jaguar rather than an antiseptic German schnellwagen.

Would we buy one? It’s certainly a good all-round bet, and as much fun for everyday use, as the hairy-chested and very expensive “real” XFR V8s. The short answer is that we could live without the pretty bits but maybe add the better seats and adaptive dynamics.

But the only other way to get the 3.0 engine in South Africa at present is to shell out big bucks for the Premium Luxury edition. Problem: Perhaps we should just hang on for the facelifted 2017 update and get the extra space, and more responsive touch-screen, we’ve craved since 2008.

Test car from JLRSA press fleet

Our review of the 2014 Jaguar XF 3.0 supercharged is here



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.