Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel Luxury (From York Press)

Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel Luxury

12:00am Friday 9th December 2011 in Road Test By Steve Nelson

A FEW weeks ago, a British team crossed North America, from New York to Los Angeles, in a Jaguar XF 2.2 diesel.

The car averaged 62.9mpg over the 2,884-miles – and that made it the most efficient Jaguar ever created.

The journey – the equivalent of travelling from London to the Sahara – took in 11 states, three time zones and eight days. Yet the XF only required four stops for fuel.

And on the penultimate day of the trip it achieved its peak economy of 67mpg .

Paul Alcock, XF project manager, who was present throughout the journey, said: “This project was designed primarily to test the potential economy of the XF 2.2.

“The incredible figures achieved by the car were accomplished through making every element of the new XF as efficient as possible – from its aerodynamics to its four-cylinder 2.2-litre diesel engine linked to an eight-speed gearbox. The whole XF team is incredibly proud of what’s been achieved and it’s a graphic demonstration of the strength, engineering integrity and efficiency of the car.”

Driven by independent testers, the XF 2.2 maintained an average speed of 53 mph, incorporating a multitude of real-life scenarios including the busy roads exiting New York and, towards the end of the trip, entering Los Angeles, road works, high winds and a climb to 7,275 feet above sea level.

For my week-long test drive, journeys largely consisted of urban motoring, and the the furthest I ventured out was to Malton and Bradford. But that was plenty of time and road to make a judgement that this Jaguar will enhance the XF’s reputation even further.

It has only been a few short years since the XF burst on to the scene, surprising many with its bold looks and ability to please keen drivers.

I was by no means alone among motoring journalists in describing the 3.0-litre diesel S model as the best mid-sized executive saloon on sale.

In fact, I still believe that to be the case, but while that Jag has been a popular choice, the appeal of the XF has been widened with the addition of the tax and wallet-friendly 2.2-litre diesel engine.

In conjunction with the arrival of this engine – which is also doing sterling service in Range Rover’s new Evoque, Jaguar has produced some noticeable styling changes.

But Jaguar has resisted the urge to radically change things, although the XF’s bonnet, front lights, bumper and air intakes have been subtly changed to enhance the car’s already-streamlined look. In particular, the headlights gain a striking daylight running light design.

The official average fuel consumption figure for the the 2.2- litre engine does not match that achieved in the USA at 52.3mpg, but it is nonetheless a remarkable achievement. Add to that a CO2 emissions figure of 149g/km CO2 and you have a fuel-efficient car with a low tax banding that should keep fleet managers happy. And no ‘low tax’ engine would be complete without a stop-start system.

Also happy will be the person who gets to drive the new low-emissions XF. In the real world the car behaves every bit like its more powerful cousins, with enough power on tap to waft you along motorways and ensure that keen drivers don’t feel cheated when on their favourite backroad. Sure, the 3.0-litre car feels – and is – quicker, but the 2.2- litre variant is no slouch.

Like the other diesels, the fourcylinder car gains a new eightspeed auto gearbox as standard to provide smooth shifts plus the ability to do it yourself when the mood takes you via paddle shifts behind the steering wheel.

Mechanically, then, the regular XF range is now capable of meeting the competition head-on in all the key areas – economy, emissions, performance. The latter was never in doubt but the arrival of the fourcylinder diesel finally plugs an important gap in Jaguar’s sales for business customers.

Move to the car’s interior and on the surface it appears to be business as usual. Look closely and there’s a new touchscreen interface and satellite navigation system.

There’s also a new secondary display between the car’s main dials plus a more sophisticated array of entertainment options.

Elsewhere, the XF cabin experience is as plush and refined – and dramatic – as ever. The drama comes in the form of lovely touches like the cylindrical gear selector that rises into the palm of your hand and the air vents that open once the start button is pressed. There’s also a blue hue on the dials that is simply delicious The whole package creates an ambience and sense of wellbeing that is head and shoulders above that experienced in the more austere offerings of the Germans. You get that felling that you would never tire of that cabin, with its mix of technogadgets, tones, materials and lighting.

With the measured revisions to the car’s exterior and the all-important new fleet-friendly diesel engine, Jaguar’s XF is finally a fully-rounded package for prospective buyers seeking a visually-striking and frugal business machine.

Fact file

PRICE: from £33,950.

ENGINE: 2.2-litre diesel unit developing 190bhp.

TRANSMISSION: eight-speed automatic transmission as standard, driving the rear wheels.

PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed 140mph, 0-62mph 8.5 seconds.

ECONOMY: 52.3mpg.

CO2 RATING: 149g/km.