Jaguar reveals new diesel XF range

Jan 5 2009 Steve Hughes

JAGUAR is claiming massive gains for its new XF diesel model, which will replace the current car from March with slight price increases.

The 2.7-litre turbodiesel has been a popular choice for buyers of the XF and XJ ranges but now there is a more efficient 3.0-litre replacement.

Power and performance are up yet fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are down.

Prices rise only slightly from £33,194 for the standard XF to £33,900 and from £36,717 for the Premium Luxury model to £36,900 for the new S version.

Jaguar is expected to announce on Monday, January 12 that the gas-guzzling 4.2-litre V8 petrol XF models are no longer appropriate for the current climate and are to be dropped.

The company is also expected to confirm the replacement of the 2.7-litre diesel XJ models with the new 3.0-litre V6 after its initial introduction into the smaller XF models.

In the case of the revised XF the standard model uses a 240bhp version of the 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine with a 15 per cent increase in power and torque.

This results in impressive acceleration to 60mph in just over six and a half seconds with a top speed nudging 150mph and a ten per cent economy gain at 42mpg with a CO2 rating of 179g/km.

In the case of the sportier S version the power output is 275bhp with a whopping 600Nm of pulling power to endow the car with a 0-60mph acceleration time of just under six seconds and a top speed of 155mph.

Despite this performance hike, economy and CO2 emissions are the same as those of the standard model.

The sportier S version is distinguished by 19-inch wheels, an aerodynamic boot lid spoiler and 'S' badging.

There are also trim and specification changes throughout the XF range for 2009 plus the introduction of a new Portfolio derivative.

The entry-level 3.0-litre petrol XF now costs £32,900 instead of £33,290 but the 4.2-litre V8 is no longer mentioned in the price list.

Jaguar has made no comment on the future of the 4.2-litre V8 XF and the introduction of a 3.0-litre V6 diesel XJ, saying only: "The 4.2-litre V8 is currently available but an announcement on the future Jaguar model range will be made on January 12."