Jaguar Unveils New XF

With a nod to the new XF’s purported lightness and litheness, Jaguar unveiled the second-generation of its flagship sedan during a high-wire water crossing in London. It will make its U.S. debut next week during the New York International Auto Show, but the automaker has released a few more details in the meantime.

Related: More 2015 New York Auto Show News

Jaguar says the sedan’s architecture is 75 percent aluminum, which has helped it shed about 400 pounds compared to the outgoing model. Although the car is a bit shorter and rides lower than its predecessor, Jaguar says it rides on an all-new wheelbase that’s 2 inches longer for “class-leading rear seat space with more legroom, kneeroom and headroom.”

Other interior highlights include a new 10.2-inch touch-screen multimedia system; the all-new InControl Touch Pro system with Dual View technology simultaneously allows the driver to see information while the front-seat passenger watches a DVD. A reconfigurable gauge cluster with a 12.3-inch screen is also new.

U.S.-spec powertrain offerings haven’t been announced, but the sedan is likely to get the turbocharged direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder and the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6; both are paired with an eight-speed automatic. No word yet on if the XFR-S model with the 550-horsepower V-8 will return to the lineup. New for the XF is the Configurable Dynamics system first developed for the F-Type. It allows the driver to tailor the sedan’s suspension, steering, engine and transmission settings.

Other powertrain details aren’t clear, but the automaker said the new XF will have the lowest  carbon dioxide emissions of any non-hybrid model in the segment and class-leading fuel efficiency.

Full details will be released at the New York Auto Show on April 1, and the sedan will go on sale this fall.