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Edmunds.com credits its “crouching stance” and “coupelike roof,” that taper into a fastback-style tail, but thought the nose was “somewhat quirky.” Though both Edmunds.com and Automobile comment on the XF’s passing resemblance to the LexusGS series, Automobile thought that gave the new Jaguar a little less “drama than you’d expect...nice but not stunning.” Without the Jaguar hood ornament, they think, you wouldn’t know which company built the new XF. Kelley Blue Book felt the “unorthodox” look has a “sleek, flowing profile.”
From the rear, the high-mounted LED taillamps looked familiar to an Aston Martin, Cars.com said. Motor Trend sums up the exterior critiques by saying, “Make no styling judgments until you've seen the XF in person...in the metal the XF radiates a modernity and sexiness that simply don't translate to the printed page.”
Inside, Automobile thinks “the XF's interior really scores,” and that “the cabin overflows with neat details, such as the gear shifter, covered HVAC vents that rotate to open, a start button that pulses red when you enter the car, and blue lighting around the instruments and dials.” The tech mavens at C/Net were “most impressed by the dashboard components,” like that clever shifter dial that reminds TheCarConnection.com’s editors of a high-end audio system. It’s the combination of “traditional cues with contemporary touches,” in Cars.com’s words, that gives this new Jaguar an ambience completely different from the larger XJ sedan--and from any Jaguar before it.
TheCarConnection.com’s car experts think the 2009 Jaguar XF is without question the most attractive car Jaguar has accomplished in decades. There's nothing heavy-handed or retro about the look. Quite the contrary--it is an extraordinarily modern interpretation that traditional luxury benchmarks like Audi should note well.
read more at CarConnection
This baby will run all the way to 174mph, which seems a lot more Jaguarish to me than a computerised restrictor. Here's a thought - remove the restrictors from all Jaguars. Just a thought.
Few owners will ever hit this car's maximum, but it's nice to know it's there. And the S is an improvement over the standard car in many other ways, all of which add up to a full and proper justification for the extra £9,000 on the list price.
Not least of the improvements is the superb body kit. This is instantly recognisable as the ultimate Jaguar XK, and a good many buyers will wear the extra cost for that reason alone. Lower front, side and rear skirts are subtle yet still striking, and work beautifully on the XK's fundamentally gorgeous shape - to such an extent that a couple of people asked me what the car was.
The rear diffuser combined with the larger rear wing really transforms this car's back end - the haunches look a lot more muscular and the bespoke wheels are absolutely perfect. Once again, this is a Jag that cocks a finger in the direction of Aston Martin, and I don't think there's an Aston to touch it, really.
Then there's the suspension upgrades. Jaguar's chassis gurus are surely the greatest in the business this side of Lotus. They've done some of their best work with the XKR-S, which is significantly harder all round for better response through corners, yet somehow maintains its cosseting ride.
If there's any GT car in the world with a better ride and handling compromise than this XKR-S, I haven't driven it.
The engine remains the same - a 4.2-litre supercharged V8 with 420bhp and 413lb ft - and so does the transmission, the six-speed auto by ZF - and I guess these are the only two areas that need updating. New, more efficient engines are on the way later this year, but there isn't a lot wrong with the drivetrain now. I'd like to see more controllability built into the auto 'box, though, like in the XF - it's an improvement Jaguar should make straightaway.
That's nit-picking, though. The way this car goes, stops and steers makes it the best Jaguar on sale, and probably the best GT too.
By Bill Thomas from Top Gear
Jaguar's business has not been going well for the past 10 years, so they have decided to go into a new direction. The 2009 Jaguar XF a 4 seated luxury sports car, the exterior is a sporty, muscular and dynamic which was inspired by the XK. The interior maximizes the feeling of space, at same time making it a sports car. The new XF is a dramatic expression of a bold new Jaguar design language, with a driving experience that exceeds expectations created by the striking appearance: relaxed and confident, with outstanding ability and control. I believe the XF will help Jaguar's to grow in a better direction.
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