Jaguar XF 2.0 Turbo Review
Less is more? Well that’s quite possible…
By Shahzad Sheikh
I know what you’re thinking. A 2.0-litre four-cylinder in a Jaguar? And I can’t blame you. One of my very favourite cars is the XFR and I love lapping up every one of the 510bhp that that thing puts out. So how then, could I possibly be satisfied with this lowly offering?
Well here’s what you need to know – this thing puts out more horsepower than the old V6 in the XF did (now replaced with a new supercharged version). The four-cylinder engine banks on a Turbo to rummage up 240bhp, more importantly it churns out 251lb ft at just 2000rpm – that gives it a 0-100kph time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 250kph.
From behind the wheel it feels remarkably punchy, and suitably rapid. Around town you wouldn’t want for performance, and it’s easy to forget the lack of cylinders and CCs. The Turbo is the source of this black magic.
It’s also the source of the only small concern with the performance – turbo lag. There’s just a slight wait before it all spools up and belts out the torques, but it is discernible. Other than that, performance is far from being a concern with the 2.0 XF, that’s for sure.
The XF we know to be a well-balanced and nicely handling car too, much of those traits are carried through to this ‘entry-level’ version. However it does feel a tad softer than the regular cars, perhaps because this version has been tuned to US and our markets rather than Europe (it’s not sold in Jag’s home market, UK). You sense it most when you start chucking the car about, it leans a little more than I recall.
Still, what this does mean is that even on the 19-inch wheels fitted to the test car, the ride is very comfortable. As indeed, is the cabin. Nice seats, beautiful dashboard – with its signature rotating air vents – and a delightful feel-good ambience, set the XF apart from rivals.
And don’t get me wrong, it retains a sporty edge, is immensely satisfying to drive and would be rewarding to own. Overall then, a great car that starts at a reasonable starting price-point of AED169,000. However it rises to AED209k for the Premium Luxury spec version. The equivalent BMW 5 series is more expensive, the similarly priced Mercedes E-Class is less powerful.
I’m almost tempted to say it’s worth forfeiting the extra 100bhp, a two-second quicker 0-100kph time and an extra 9kph top speed that you get with the 3.0-litre Supercharged V6 version, which costs AED199k in base starting guise, but rises to AED239k for Premium Luxury, and AED279k for the Premium Luxury Sport Pack.
However it would irk me to pay AED209 for the better spec 2.0 XF, which I’d want, but knowing that I could have instead had the extra power for slightly less money. The four-cylinder XF is a tempting proposition and there’s little to fault on it, but I hesitate the way the Turbo does to actually recommend it. Maybe if it started for AED20k less, the argument for it could be a little more clear-cut. Make sure you check the spec is what you want, before you order.
Specs
2013 Jaguar XF 2.0-litre four-cylinder
How much?
Luxury – AED169,000 ($46k)
Premium Luxury – AED209,000 ($56,800)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder, 240bhp @ 5500rpm, 250lb ft @ 2000-4000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel Economy: 8.9L/100km
Performance: 0-100kph 7.9 seconds, Top speed 241kph
Weight: 1660kg
The current prices for the four pot are exactly the same as the outgoing V6. The new V6 seems to have the exact prices for the 5.0 V8. From my experience, I recall the naturally aspirated 5.0 started from 199k for something that didn’t even have a GPS. The Luxury one was prices at 239k. Question is: Did they cancel the naturally aspirated 5.0 for the XF?
[Shahzad] Seems that way. There’s no normally aspirated 5.0 V8 on the pricelist anymore. There’s only one 5.0 and it’s the XFR (Supercharged) now priced at a somewhat eye-watering AED399,000
Letting go of the V8s is sad, it all started with letting go of the SV8(which was brilliant), probably even the best car they had in the lineup of XFs