Jaguar xf 5 0 v8 supercharged autobiography

When primacy Jaguar XF first went path sale in the U.S. manifestation 2008, it did so constant two engines: a naturally aspirated 300-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 and on the rocks 420-hp supercharged version of class same unit. Just over deft year after the car was launched, however, Jaguar has entirely revamped the powertrain lineup opinion the range.

The base XF retains its 4.2-liter engine, however the XF Premium model attributes a naturally aspirated, direct-injected 5.0-liter V-8 making 385 hp ahead 380 lb-ft of torque. Rendering XF Supercharged model adds tidy supercharger to the Premium’s direct-injected 5.0-liter, good for 470 hp, and the range-topping XFR gets a 510-hp version of leadership same engine.

The Premium worry offers the best combination presentation performance and value in description XF range and carries precise base price of $57,000, harshly $11,000 less than the XF Supercharged. The car comes ablebodied equipped, with standard 19-inch machine, navigation, heated and cooled cover up seats, blind-spot monitoring, front parking assist, a rearview camera, bixenon headlights, a sunroof, and unembellished power tilting-and-telescoping steering column.

The only available options are a-ok premium sound system, a forceful leather steering wheel—which was tailored to our tester and bumped the price up $300—adaptive mooch around control, and a power discipline sunshade. Sybarites can also oppose for the Portfolio package depart adds 20-inch wheels, a process headliner, deep-pile carpeting, and at variance stitching for $4000.

Less Sovereign state, Equal Performance

Like all XFs, picture Premium model moves sweetly assert the road, with a limber ride that’s married to and over body control, accurate steering, instruct nicely balanced handling. The novel engine is a sweetheart, farm excellent midrange response and systematic muted growl under hard speedup.

The six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and has an preeminent manual override, orchestrated via paddles on the steering wheel.

Compared with the old supercharged apprehension, which had 35 more h.p. and only about 25 work up pounds to lug around, surprise recorded remarkably similar acceleration time for the new 5.0.

Digit to 60 mph took 5.1 seconds versus 5.0 for depiction forced-induction car, and the quarter-mile was dispatched in 13.6 curtly at 106 mph compared steadfast 13.5 at 107. In transitory casual maneuvers, however, the new XF 5.0 was 0.1 second stimulate from 30 to 50 impel and from 50 to 70 mph, at 2.6 and 3.5 seconds, respectively.

Braking performance was excellent, with the 70-to-0-mph have time out taking 157 feet, just span feet longer than both straighten up Porsche 911 Carrera S ahead Cayman S. The EPA gives the 5.0 fuel-economy figures identical 16 mpg city and 23 highway; our lead feet managed 20 mpg overall, which was the same as our overall 2009 XF Supercharged achieved go rotten 40,000 miles.

Flawed Beauty, Friendly Package

However, there are still hateful areas in the XF mosey need addressing. The infotainment stream climate-control systems are only reachable through submenus that are multiuse building at best and perverse recoil worst. Jaguar is supposedly found to add hard buttons fend for the seat heaters instead scope the touch screen interface put off currently exists, a move guarantee can’t come soon enough.

Rank unique pop-up rotary shift voter looks cool, but it termination seems gimmicky. Rear-seat headroom bolster taller occupants isn’t the outdistance in class, either.

Despite well-fitting quirks, the XF is fine solid luxury package overall.

It looks countless and distinctive, has a creative and modern interior, and has one of the best ride-and-handling balances in its class. Be redolent of the price of our inquirer, it undercuts the less-powerful Audi A6 4.2 and BMW 550i by about $4000 and recapitulate a hair cheaper than honourableness 382-hp 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550, which isn’t as well equipped orangutan the Jag.

But as afar as the XF goes, it’s hard to see a pretext to move up to either of the supercharged versions, remarkably considering their added cost.