Jaguar Land Rover engineer Mike Bradley helped bring Jaguar's F-TYPE sports car from concept to production reality. Now, as senior launch manager for the all-new Jaguar XF, he's made sure the DNA of F-TYPE has been transferred to Jaguar's new sports sedan. Here he singles-out 10 ways the 2016 XF sets a new mid-size luxury benchmark.
1. It has the soul of an F-TYPE
There's a reason the new XF drives like a sports car. It's because we've integrated many of the key dynamic features of our F-TYPE into the XF. For starters, it shares the same 3.0-liter direct-injection supercharged V6 powerplant and the same eight-speed ZF paddle shift automatic transmission. The front suspension system is also adapted from the F-TYPE, as is the car's available all-wheel-drive. Part of the reason why the new XF is so much fun to drive is that its new electric-assist power steering (EPAS) system is essentially the same as the F-TYPE. This is the real change from the previous XF. From the steering feel and precision to the vehicle responsiveness, agile handling and its athletic performance, these features are what set this new XF apart.
2. Aluminum construction reduces weight, increases strength, sharpens handling
We've developed a remarkable aluminum-intensive architecture for the new XF. The bare body shell, or what we call the body-in-white, now weighs just 621 pounds, which is similar to that of a tiny Fiat 500 L. The body side pressing alone weighs a mere 13 pounds. Compared to the last-generation XF, the new car is 11% lighter - by up to 265 pounds - and 28% stiffer. It's this stiffer body structure that forms the foundation for delivering a true sports car driving experience.
3. There is more room inside
While the new XF is slightly shorter overall, the wheelbase is two inches longer to provide more interior room. Rear seat passengers benefit the most with an extra inch of knee-room and while the roof is slightly lower, we've added an extra inch of headroom. We've also expanded the trunk, so there's now an impressive 19.1 cubic feet of luggage space.
4. Seductive styling
We didn't want to re-invent the look of the XF, so we evolved the design with crisper, sharper lines, a larger, more upright front grille and bigger air intakes. The new rear quarter window in the roof pillar not only adds light to the rear cabin, it visually stretches the car.
5. More control from Jaguar InControl TouchTM
We've developed a new infotainment system we call Jaguar InControl Touch. It features an 8-inch touchscreen with crystal-clear graphics and sweep and drag control1. The system can also create its own Jaguar InControl Wi-Fi hotspot2 that lets you pair up to eight devices. Soon, we will be offering our new InControl Touch Procsystem with a 10-inch screen1 and lightning-fast quad-core processor.
6. Advanced traction systems
We've developed a new traction-control system for XF all-wheel drive models that can determine the surface the car is being driven on - either dry, wet, gravel, snow or ice. It is designed to then automatically modify the electronic mapping to adjust the car's steering, throttle, transmission and stability control to best suit the road conditions while keeping the driver in control3
7. Laser Heads-Up Display
Available Laser Heads-Up Display system3 projects key information, like the car's speed, the local speed limit, turn-by-turn navigation instructions and gear shift selection, directly on to the windshield. This technology generates high contrast images which are easier to read in strong sunlight. Once you've used it, you'll wonder how you've ever driven without it.
8. New driver-assistance technologies
The 2016 XF comes with our most comprehensive suite of available new driver-assistance technologies yet. In addition to lane-keeping assist and lane departure warning, it offers autonomous emergency braking, driver drowsiness monitoring and adaptive cruise control3.
9. Torque Vectoring by Braking
When driving fast into a tight curve, understeer can effect a driver's chosen line through the corner. The car can run wide, but with our Torque Vectoring By Braking system, originally developed for the F-TYPE, the system is designed to apply braking selectively to the inside wheels to mitigate any understeer, and keep the car on the chosen line3. The braking intervention is really subtle, and virtually transparent to the driver, but the increased agility is felt immediately. So impressive is the system, we've made it standard on every 2016 XF model.
10. It's backed by a new, best-in-class ownership package
Like all 2016 Jaguar cars, the 2016 XF comes with the new, best-in-class Jaguar EliteCare coverage4, which includes a five-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, free scheduled maintenance, 24/7 roadside assistance and Jaguar InControl Remote & ProtectTM. It really provides true peace of mind.
1 Do not use Jaguar InControl features under conditions that will affect your safety or the safety of others. Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehicle control.
2 The Wi-Fi hotspot is intended for passenger use only. InControl features may require an additional subscription with separate terms and conditions.
3 InControl features may require an additional subscription with separate terms and conditions.
4 Class is cars sold by luxury automobile brands and claim is based on total package of warranty, maintenance and other coverage programs. For complete details regarding Jaguar EliteCare coverage, please visit JaguarUSA.com, call 1.800.4.JAGUAR or visit your local Jaguar Retailer.