2015 New York Auto Show: A second-generation Jaguar XF
Jaguar, the high-end subsidiary of the British Jaguar Land Rover brand owned by India’s Tata, brought a redesigned 2016 XF to the ongoing New York International Auto Show.
Journalists present were treated to a first look at the second-generation “luxury sedan,” which features a lighter chassis and body, sleeker look and improvements in information and entertainment options.
The XF will be offered in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, with a choice of 340 horsepower or 380 horsepower supercharged V-6 engines -- the same ones found on the Jaguar F-type cars.
And XF with the 380 horsepower engine, in the AWD configuration, can jump from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5 secons, Jaguar said. In the rear-wheel drive format, the time for that distance is 5.3 seconds.
Like many luxury vehicles being unwrapped at this year’s New York auto show, the XF includes a plush interior host of standard or optional technological features -- as it must, to compete.
“For Jaguar, styling has never been the issue -- because Jaguars have always looked very elegant,” noted Akshay Anand, analyst at Kelley Blue Book, who attended the unveiling. “But they will need to keep up with interior luxury and technology.”
Jaguar said in pre-unveiling press releases that the XF would include a variety of systems designed to improve traction, emergency braking, lane departure warning, a speed limiter, and technology that will wake a drowsy driver, interpret road signs, and help the car manueuver itself into parallel or perpindicular parking spaces.
The XF will also offer a laser “heads-up display,” which will project onto the windshield things like vehicle speed, navigation information and more.
Price, Anand said, will also be an issue.
The 2015 XF is priced starting at $51,000, and it’s likely the 2016 XF will be priced similarly -- which it must do, to compete with comparable vehicles from BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
“This is continuing the story line that Jaguar is going to keep it in high gear,” Anand said. “The reaction today was positive, and maybe a little understated. I think the car looks really good.”
Twitter: @misterfleming
