The new Jaguar XF has matured a little, most of us will see that as a good thing. But does it still have that charming English 'accent'? Or has it gone all German on us?

Photos Joel Tam

Busy schedules and other priorities have made taking out cars for reviews some sort of a luxury for me. So when I do have a chance to get my hands on a car, I’m always hoping for something special to make it worth my while. By saying that, I am by no means putting myself on the pedestal. I am a regular joe (pun not intended), simply hoping to make the most out of my time.

I’m happy to report though that the new Jaguar XF I drove recently, is a car worth anyone’s time. 

Built to be lighter (up to 190kg less than before) and more efficient, the new feline from England has also grown up a little to attract buyers who are more rational. But it still has a dose of fun injected into its genes to stand out from the competition.

Speaking of competition, the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6 are getting a bit dated, which makes it an opportune time for the new XF to shine.

Marginally shorter that the previous model, the overall exterior design is looking more mature that the curvaceous model it replaces. New LED lights, sharper edges, cleaner lines and a chunkier front-end make the new XF more handsome than sexy. Which is not a bad thing if you’ve always liked the styling of the flagship XJ — the XF has taken some obvious design cues from it. It even boasts an exceptional aerodynamic efficiency of Cd 0.26.

The interior though, is where I feel Jaguar has clearly done a better job that the German opposition. For a start, it feels ‘German’ enough to go head-to-head with the competition. But Jaguar has done a one-up by creating a more luxurious ambience using a more inspiring architecture. Aluminum inserts are well juxtaposed with glossy black finishing, matched with soft leather and flowy design lines throughout the cabin. It’s simple without being boring.

If you’re looking to fit a family of five comfortably, you’d be happy to know that occupants get more space with the new model. Rear passengers gain 15mm more legroom, 24mm more kneeroom and up to 27mm more headroom on the new XF.

Enough about the dull stuff. Steering the Jaguar is what we’re really interested in. The 2-litre turbocharged Prestige model we got pushes out a reasonable 240bhp and 340Nm of torque. It’s paired to a ZF 8-speed gearbox that shifts rapidly but is slightly betrayed by the ‘plasticky’ feel of the XF’s paddle shifters. I experienced this in the F-type before, but had hoped that they would improve on it - the feel is no better than a gaming steering wheel.

But you’ll get over the paddle shift feel once you put the pedal down on the floorboard. Lots of power and torque are available from the word ‘go’! It’s different from the linear 3-litre engines from the old XF, but more dramatic in a way the turbocharger delivers the punch, gear after gear. Fly into a corner and the lighter architecture is quite apparent. The XF feels nimble around corners and the double-wishbone and Integral Link suspension work well to keep things tight and pliant at the same time. The century sprint will be done in 7-seconds flat and a top speed of almost 250 km/h is achievable, given the right roads.

I’ve known Jags to be a bit more playful than its German counterparts though, so I had to find out if it still possessed that fun factor. Once a suitable spot was found and the traction control turned off, it was time to release the predator in this otherwise tame little machine. Suffice to say, the XF is still capable of some tail-out action and rear tyre-shredding antics without much fuss and effort.

For those of you who frown upon such things though, you’d be happy to know that the new Jaguar XF saloons, along with the Jaguar XE have been awarded the maximum five star rating in Euro NCAP’s 2015 safety tests. So it’s both frisky and safe.

The new XF has grown up in the right ways, but still remains true to its English roots. If you’re spending some money in the luxury segment and would like something a bit more unpredictable, be sure to take a look at the new cat on the block.