The New Jaguar XF

Challenging convention and setting its own rules, the new Jaguar XF fuses the style and performance of a sports car with the refinement, space and sophistication of a luxury saloon. This is the beginning of a new era for Jaguar.

The new Jaguar XF: a dramatic expression of a bold new Jaguar design language, with a driving experience that exceeds expectations created by the striking appearance: relaxed and confident, with outstanding ability and control.

Resolutely true to the Jaguar philosophy of creating Beautiful, Fast cars, the Jaguar XF goes further, adding a new dimension to the marque. The four-door XF has the visual excitement of a coupe, but room inside for five adults to enjoy an interior wholly contemporary in style yet uniquely Jaguar.

As well as space, the new Jaguar XF's interior ambience is enriched by crafted, luxurious materials, sophisticated instruments and calm interior mood lighting. Engineering excellence and attention to detail mean the Jaguar XF's interior matches the best-in-class for refinement, while Jaguar's intelligent use of technology and driver-friendly Touch-screen controls add new layers of comfort and ease of use.

Every XF model has shift-by-wire transmission control, with Jaguar's class-leading sequential shift system - its popularity already confirmed by feedback from XK sports car customers - used for the first time in a saloon. Shift-by-wire replaces manual shift linkages with electronic commands and gives every XF rapid and very smooth gearshifts - faster, even, than the acclaimed XK's transmission.

SUSPENSION

The Jaguar XF's class-leading torsional rigidity has significant benefits for refinement and provides the perfect platform for a suspension system that is a further development of the Jaguar XK sports car, and delivers a ride/handling balance and steering characteristics absolutely in line with the Jaguar XF's sporting looks. Unequal length wishbone front suspension with weight-saving aluminium components, and multi-link rear suspension are both subframe mounted for maximum control, including excellent straight-line stability and strong anti-dive characteristics under heavy braking, with minimum road noise and vibration.

The only suspension variations on the Jaguar XF are between the V6 petrol, V6 diesel and V8 naturally aspirated models, which all use finely tuned passive suspension, and the SV8, which for all markets uses Jaguar's Computer Adaptive Technology Suspension (CATSTM). The latest CATSTM is a sophisticated system shared with the new Jaguar XK sports grand tourer. It uses electronically controlled, two-stage, adaptive dampers whose characteristics are automatically adjusted within milliseconds in response to road conditions and driving inputs, for the optimum balance between comfort and control.

POWERTRAIN

The new Jaguar 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). Both petrol and diesel V6 engines are offered in Luxury and Premium Luxury models; the naturally aspirated V8 will be Premium Luxury only (and Luxury for US models) and the supercharged SV8 has its own unique specification, for a very logical, easily understood range with only six major variants.

The Euro IV compliant twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre 24-valve V6 diesel delivers high efficiency, high performance and class-leading refinement - its headline figures including 207PS (EEC) and 435Nm (EEC) of torque. With its Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) cylinder block and aluminium cylinder heads it is the lightest diesel engine of its type and size - making a significant contribution to the new Jaguar XF's power-to-weight ratio, performance and fuel economy.

The V6 diesel features the latest generation high-pressure Common Rail direct-injection, 'multiple pilot' injection, and piezo-electric injection control, allowing sophisticated management of the injection patterns to make combustion smoother and quieter. Four valves per cylinder and advanced combustion chamber shapes contribute to high combustion efficiency with low combustion noise, alongside very low mechanical noise levels.

Emissions are further reduced by using twin variable-geometry turbochargers with electronic control, exhaust gas recirculation, and a variable-swirl intake system. Using two small turbochargers, with 'drive-by-wire' throttle control, rather than one larger unit, also gives a quicker, smoother response.

The 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine is another compact, lightweight, all-aluminium design with four overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, VCP Continuously Variable Cam Phasing and variable geometry air intakes. It produces 240bhp (SAE)/238PS (EEC) and 221lb ft (SAE)/293Nm (EEC) peak torque - with more than 80 percent of peak torque from below 1500rpm to maximum engine speed at 6800rpm.

Variable Camshaft Phasing produces faster response and performance at all engine speeds - with more torque at low speeds and maximum power at high speeds. It also provides internal exhaust gas recirculation, reducing both hydrocarbon and NOx emissions.

The 4.2-litre V8 comes in naturally aspirated or supercharged versions. With a ribbed aluminium block and cylinder heads it is very light but extremely strong, and its superb structural stiffness minimises radiated engine noise and increases mechanical reliability. The V8's exhaust system has also been completely retuned to remain quiet at cruising speeds but deliver a substantially more purposeful V8 roar under hard acceleration.

In naturally aspirated form it develops 300bhp (SAE)/298PS (EEC), and 310lb ft (SAE)/411Nm (EEC) of torque. The supercharged version uses a highly efficient rotor-type supercharger, belt-driven from the crankshaft. It develops 420bhp (SAE)/416PS (EEC), and 413lb ft (SAE)/560Nm (EEC) of torque from low engine speeds. Just as important as the supercharged engine's peak torque is the way the usable torque is spread across a wide rev range - with at least 86 percent of the peak from 2000rpm to maximum engine speed.

A superior six-speed automatic transmission - renowned as one of the best in the world and already proven in other Jaguars - is used on all versions of the new Jaguar XF. There is no manual gearbox option. The transmission is a key element in the Jaguar XF's sporting character, its adaptive gear-changing strategies responding both to road conditions and the way the car is being driven, giving the smoothest shifts and optimum performance. Adding another layer of driver focus, the transmission is controlled by the new JaguarDrive SelectorTM with the option of manual selection through Jaguar Sequential ShiftTM. The JaguarDrive SelectorTM is also used to access the Jaguar XF's Sport mode which uses shift-by-wire technology pioneered on the XK.

These high-tech, modern powertrains give every XF model outstanding performance. The 2.7-litre V6 diesel reaches 60mph in just 7.7 seconds (0-100kph in 8.2 seconds) and has a top speed of 143mph (229kph). The 3.0-litre V6 petrol version sprints to 60mph in 7.9 seconds (0-100kph in 8.3 seconds) and goes on to reach 148mph (237kph). The naturally-aspirated V8 model has a superb 0-60mph time of just 6.2 seconds (0-100kph in 6.5 seconds) and has an electronically limited top speed of 155mph (250kph). Lastly, the supercharged SV8 XF storms to 60mph in just 5.1 seconds (0-100kph in 5.4 seconds) and, like the naturally aspirated V8, is limited to a maximum of 155mph (250kph).

The New Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe

The Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe is not just a show car. It is a company personified. Like the iconic Jaguar XK120s and E-types that preceded it, the Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe heralds a new generation of stunning sports coupes and saloons; cars that will remain true to Jaguar's illustrious past but more importantly will see the company leaping confidently forward into the future.

Created by Jaguar's advanced design team under the watchful eye of renowned Design Director Ian Callum, this high-performance show car is indicative of more than just the company's evolving design direction - the Advanced Lightweight Coupe represents the future of Jaguar, as an ambassador for a marque whose reputation was founded on beautiful and dynamic sports cars.

The Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe is a physical expression of Ian Callum's direction for the next generation of Jaguar cars which, like this 2+2 show car, will have purposeful and seductive exteriors that bring Jaguar design firmly into the 21st century. And with the lightweight aluminium body architecture technology that was introduced with the new XJ saloon, in production form the Advanced Lightweight Coupe would be as dynamic and agile as it is desirable.

"This company has had many ground-breaking moments," says Joe Greenwell, Chairman and CEO, Jaguar Cars. "The XK120 was a ground-breaker and of course the E-type and XJ6 saloon in the 1960s helped to change the face of motoring. These were events in automotive design history that have stood the test of time and I would like to think that we will look back on the Advanced Lightweight Coupe as another of those moments in Jaguar's lineage."

ENGINEERING

What if we let our minds wander for a moment? What if this show car was a road-going reality? Well, the Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe would be the most potent 2+2 the company has ever created. Thanks to a technologically advanced aluminium architecture - which is around 40 percent lighter and 60 percent stiffer than a standard steel body - and renowned V8 powertrain assembly, the car would be capable of compelling performance, reaching 60mph from standstill in less than five seconds and breaking the 180mph mark at maximum velocity.

Yet it is not simply straightline speed that would make the car so notable. It would also demonstrate an agility that reaffirms Jaguar's commitment to producing the best-handling sports coupes and saloons in the world.

"The Advanced Lightweight Coupe is the sort of Jaguar we want to build," says Joe Greenwell, Chairman and CEO, Jaguar Cars. "But that means we must do much more than just come up with a beautiful design, we must have the tools in place to turn that creative spark into something tangible. What people should recognise is that we have the people in place to allow this to happen. The company's engineering team is as strong as it has ever been and this new generation of engineers is all set to follow in the footsteps of great names from Jaguar's past.

"Today's team, with extraordinarily talented people such as Phil Hodgkinson, Jon Carling, Russ Varney and Mike Cross, will drive Jaguar's product direction. These are the people who will take Ian Callum's designs and ensure that the end products are as desirable as the concept cars that precede them."

The engineering excellence that abounds at Jaguar is reflected in this car's impressive technical specification. An aluminium chassis similar to that used in the new XJ saloon is constructed using many of the same advanced technologies. It is not just lightweight but also incredibly strong and stiff, which is of immense benefit to a car's handling and ride as well as fuel economy and exhaust emissions. The lighter body also means responsiveness is improved whether you are talking in terms of steering feel, traction or power delivery. Jaguar's V8 engines are admired as much for their impressive low-down torque as their peak power outputs and with a lighter aluminium body to propel, that torque is even more noticeable.

"The next generation of Jaguars will be remarkable drivers' cars," says Phil Hodgkinson, Director, Product Engineering. "Whether you want to relax behind the wheel on a long journey or head out simply for the pleasure of driving there will be no need to compromise. Our cars will be the perfect blend of performance and luxury."

Jaguar's array of intuitive technologies - features that make life easier for the driver, not more complicated - also sit easily with the Advanced Lightweight Coupe ethos. Dynamic aids such as Computer Active Technology Suspension work in conjunction with safety systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control and the Active Restraint Technology System - all features that Jaguar already has on its production cars.

And like Jaguar's XJ and S-TYPE saloons, this car has an adjustable pedal box to ensure that drivers are seated in optimum comfort. As with all Jaguar's technologies these systems operate discreetly, without intruding on the unparalleled Jaguar driving experience - they are there when you need them but never impose themselves.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the Advanced Lightweight Coupe is a beautiful, fast Jaguar that is true to the brand's past and heralds an exciting future. It combines the talents of Ian Callum and his design team with brilliant engineering expertise - a combination that will ensure every upcoming Jaguar model delivers both dynamically and visually.

"This car is as clear a statement on the strength and confidence of the company as we could possibly make," concludes Joe Greenwell, Chairman and CEO, Jaguar Cars. "Its design is assertive and pure - a perfect symbol for our 21st century cars - and beneath that beautiful body lies the heart and soul of a true Jaguar sports car."

"The Advanced Lightweight Coupe marks a return to the core values of Jaguar," says Bibiana Boerio, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars. "There is a determination in every department of this company to produce a new range of cars that provides the total Jaguar experience and this car is the first evidence of that determination.

"Aspirational and exclusive, with contemporary design and stunning performance, the Advanced Lightweight Coupe is conceived as a special car for special people. It represents the unique position that Jaguar holds in the market place - and even more it tells the world that we are set to make another bold leap forward. For Jaguar, the future begins now."