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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Grace and Pace with more Space: 2016 Jaguar XF 2.0d R-Sport

Different. And better

Pics by Motorpress
Posted: 9 August 2016

The numbers
Basic price: R838 600
Engine: 1999 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 132 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 430 Nm between 1750 and 2500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 8.1 seconds
Maximum speed: 229 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 6.4 l/100 km
Tank: 66 litres
Luggage: 505 litres
Warranty and maintenance: 5 years / 100 000 km

The more things stay the same, the more they change. That, at least, is how it is with Jaguar’s latest XFs. While they look much the way they did last year almost everything, apart from a couple of the engines, has changed.

Front and rear views and interiors are noticeably different; the car is seven millimetres shorter (you won’t notice); its wheelbase is 51 mm longer – you will feel that. Rear legroom is 15 mm greater, there’s 24 mm more knee room and a 27 mm increase in headspace. It’s also up to 190 kilograms lighter than previously. The boot stays much the same at 505 litres. All models use eight-speed ZF automatic transmissions.

The range was trimmed from nine variants to seven. The 2.2 diesel made way for a 2.0-litre that makes a little less power and torque, but is a lot cleaner (114 gm/km vs. 158) and more economical (4.3 l/100 vs. 5.4 l/100 km claimed averages). The new car is slightly quicker to 100 km/h and top speed is a touch higher. Thank reduced weight for that.

Still on engines, the V8s have gone; the 2.0- and 3.0-litre petrol motors put out as they did before although a new, hotter version of the 3.0 supercharged mill (XFS only) adds 30 Nm while cutting one-tenth of a second off the sprint time. It’ll cost you though – about 1.27 million – although added pretty things, and Adaptive Dynamics, help to ease the pain.

But back to our 2.0 diesel, R-Sport, test car. The same engine can be had in the Prestige version for R72 700 less, but here’s what you get for the added outlay: 18” alloy wheels rather than 17”; the R-Sport body kit with sports front bumper, side sills, power vents and badges and a boot-mounted spoiler; sports leather seats; sports suspension (special springs and dampers) and some appearance items.

Being a Jaguar, it’s fitted with more safety and luxury kit than we have space for here, but it includes six airbags, emergency brake assist, torque vectoring, DSC, trailer stability and traction control, cruise with speed limiter, hill holder, Jaguar Drive Control (eco, dynamic and normal), rain sensing wipers, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking aids, keyless starting and dual zone air conditioning. The basic music system includes Bluetooth connectivity and streaming but it puts out “only” 80-Watts. You have a choice of two upgrades; to 380- or 825W.

If you had asked us a couple of years ago which XF was our favourite, we would have named the 3.0 diesel. We may have to amend that but, before we commit, there are still others to test, aren’t there? This car goes and handles brilliantly, has a huge boot, there’s enough people-room in the back (at last) and it boasts more than enough power for any but the truly jaded. We rather liked it.

Being practical, the boot lip is 65 centimetres above ground level and its sill is 10 cm deep. That makes it easy to load or unload. There are four tie-down rings, a light, two bag hooks and a space saver spare under the floor board. It’s painted blush scarlet; to shame you into getting the puncture fixed promptly. Buttons on a pair of cables, rather like old-time choke knobs, release the 2/3:1/3-split seatbacks so they can lie almost flat. 

Back seat accommodations are better than we are used to in XFs, but still a little shy of excellent – that added 27 mm makes the difference between “hair against ceiling” and “at last, enough space.” The fold-down armrest includes a pair of cup holders, there are magazine pockets on the front seatbacks, repeater vents are provided for air conditioning and the door bins are bigger than most.

Safety requirements are taken care of by three belts and as many head restraints, but the central tunnel is still too high for a grown-up to sit in the middle.

From the pilot’s seat, the smaller of two available touch screens and 23 buttons provide a comfortable balance between functionality and flash. You can, for example, turn on and adjust the air or work the radio without having to ask permission of menus hidden deep within arcane electronics. The only items we did not like on the car (we’re in a hopeless minority, apparently) were the shiny black wheels, although two other finishes, charcoal or silver, can be had as options.

Summing up, it’s still the XF we rather like - just different - and better.

Test car from JLRSA press fleet

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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 you can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
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