Jaguar's New XF Sedan Debuts In Frankfurt

"The XF is a stage in a personal journey for me," said Ian Callum, Jaguar Design director. "It has always been my career goal to return Jaguar to its rightful place as leader in automotive design. Cars like the original XJ6 left a lasting legacy and my ambition has been to create something as seminal. The XF is that car."

Jaguar's new design direction was first applied to the XK sports car and the XF is the next step forward. Indeed, the XF's proportions are closely matched to the XK, the angle of the windshield rake being the same on both cars. Callum and his team aimed for a sporty, muscular appearance and gave the XF a sweeping silhouette inspired by the XK, a powerful grille and strong shoulders.

Along with the grille, one-piece headlights wrap around the corners onto the front wings. Following the Jaguar credo of flowing, uninterrupted lines, a feature line starts at the edge of the lower air intake, runs over the front wing, rises to the waistline and then runs around the trunk lid.

"It was time for Jaguar to be bold and the XF fits that brief perfectly," said Wayne Burgess, XF senior manager, Jaguar Design. "With its dramatic styling, powerful yet beautiful flowing lines and a distinctive face, the new XF looks like no other Jaguar sedan - and yet it could only be a Jaguar."

Jaguar technical innovations include an industry-first rotary shifter, the JaguarDrive Selector™, which combines precise, intuitive control and allows maximization of interior storage options.

"The engineering disciplines behind the XF are as ground-breaking as its new design language," said Phil Hodgkinson, Jaguar Programmes director. "New development processes and computer tools allowed us to work through the program at a quicker pace than anything previously. New technologies and materials combine strength with lightness."

Jaguar used Computational Fluid Dynamics to optimize the aerodynamics before the car saw the inside of a wind tunnel, resulting in the best aerodynamic performance of any production Jaguar.

Jaguar also utilized sophisticated computer modeling systems, Virtual Process and Virtual Series, to build and refine the XF. Next-generation CAD programs were used to produce strength for the XF without unwanted weight. The XF utilizes the latest generation steels to form a safety ring around the occupants while keeping down the sedan's weight.

Jaguar's shift-by-wire transmission makes it's first appearance in a Jaguar sedan. Shift-by-wire replaces manual shift linkages with electronic commands and gives every XF rapid and very smooth gearshifts - faster than the acclaimed XK's transmission.

The Jaguar Sequential Shift™ System gives the driver the option of one-touch manual control via steering-wheel-mounted paddles. There is also the choice of multiple transmission modes via JaguarDrive Control™.

Jaguar made sure the XF had interior space to challenge its top competitors. The XF is longer and wider than its nearest 'dimensional' competitor, the Audi A6 - with even greater advantages over the BMW 5-Series, Lexus GS300 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Along with maximizing interior space, the XF interior emphasizes sporting luxury.

"We have found exciting new ways to say 'luxury,'" said Alister Whelan, Jaguar Interior designer. "The lines are clean and pure, the materials are familiar, but with a very modern flavor - from soft-grained leathers to real wood veneers with a bold contemporary spin. Even the phosphor blue interior lighting has its own mood."

As an example of the interior's innovation, the air conditioning vents are flush to the dashboard until the ignition is switched on, at which point they rotate to the open position.

In Europe, the XF will be available with a choice of four engines - 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel, 3.0-litre V6 petrol, 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol, and 4.2-litre supercharged V8 petrol (depending on market).

In the United States, the new XF will be available with a choice of two engines - 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 gasoline engine and 4.2-liter supercharged V8 gasoline engine.

The XF includes a host of features ranging from Electronic Brake Assist to Dynamic Stability Conrol, Blind Spot Monitor and Adaptive Cruise Control. For the first time Jaguar offers Understeer Control Logic which decelerates the car and helps to restore grip to the front wheels when required. -Ford