New Jaguar XF Does Plenty to Impress
A quick glance at the 2016 Jaguar XF and you might think it’s a minor redesign, but Jaguar’s all-new XF uses 83 percent all-new parts compared with the outgoing model. Unveiled at the 2015 New York International Auto Show, the exterior revision of the XF reminds me of how the Porsche 911’s styling progresses every redesign; basically, not much, even with significantly reworked mechanicals.
Related: More 2015 New York Auto Show News
A pronounced shoulder line gives the XF a defined stance as the accent runs uninterrupted from the front fender, along the profile and then wraps into the rear trunk lid. The outgoing XF uses a similar accent that’s more pronounced this go around, and ties the front and rear together really well.
&&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_START&&&&& {“id”:1420680188635,”originalName”:”16Jaguar_XF_ES_01.jpg”,”name”:”16Jaguar_XF_ES_01.jpg”,”extension”:”jpg”,”URI”:”/67/-2132140296-1427916328567.jpg”,”createDate”:”2015-04-01 02:25:29″,”metadata”:{“AUTHOR”:”Cars.com photo by Evan Sears”,”CAPTION”:”2016 Jaguar XF;”,”KEYWORDS”:”xf,ES,NYIAS,2016 Jaguar XF,XF NYIAS”},”href”:”https://www.cstatic-images.com/stock/1170×1170/67/-2132140296-1427916328567.jpg”,”externalid”:”93101″,”updatedby”:”JenniferGeiger”,”updateddate”:1427916370632,”associations”:{}} &&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_END&&&&&Up front, designers further accented the hood bulge for an aggressive look and the grille stands taller. If you’re not convinced this is any better after comparing the old and new, rest assured it’s what’s on the inside that counts with the 2016 XF.
&&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_START&&&&& {“id”:1420680188511,”originalName”:”16Jaguar_XF_ES_32.jpg”,”name”:”16Jaguar_XF_ES_32.jpg”,”extension”:”jpg”,”URI”:”/15/-2045329322-1427916345415.jpg”,”createDate”:”2015-04-01 02:25:45″,”metadata”:{“AUTHOR”:”Cars.com photo by Evan Sears”,”CAPTION”:”2016 Jaguar XF;”,”KEYWORDS”:”xf,ES,NYIAS,2016 Jaguar XF,XF NYIAS”},”href”:”https://www.cstatic-images.com/stock/1170×1170/15/-2045329322-1427916345415.jpg”,”externalid”:”93132″,”updatedby”:”JenniferGeiger”,”updateddate”:1427916367765,”associations”:{}} &&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_END&&&&&One of Jaguar’s biggest and most difficult tasks, according to Ian Callum, Jaguar’s director of design, was increasing interior room of the 2016 XF. A 2-inch-longer wheelbase allowed exactly that as legroom, headroom and knee room are increased without increasing the overall footprint; the XF’s overall length is actually decreased by 0.3 inches. I sat in the backseat and it is indeed more comfortable than before and feels larger thanks to the new rear quarter windows letting in additional light and improving visibility.
&&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_START&&&&& {“id”:1420680188491,”originalName”:”16Jaguar_XF_ES_37.jpg”,”name”:”16Jaguar_XF_ES_37.jpg”,”extension”:”jpg”,”URI”:”/95/-2040711717-1427916347895.jpg”,”createDate”:”2015-04-01 02:25:48″,”metadata”:{“AUTHOR”:”Cars.com photo by Evan Sears”,”CAPTION”:”2016 Jaguar XF;”,”KEYWORDS”:”xf,ES,NYIAS,2016 Jaguar XF,XF NYIAS”},”href”:”https://www.cstatic-images.com/stock/1170×1170/95/-2040711717-1427916347895.jpg”,”externalid”:”93137″,”updatedby”:”JenniferGeiger”,”updateddate”:1427916367330,”associations”:{}} &&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_END&&&&&Also larger for 2016 is the trunk in both overall size and opening width. The exact cubic-feet trunk-volume measurements we use as guidelines weren’t available at press time, though the trunk increases from 501 liters to 540 liters in size. The trunk’s floor is at the perfect height to load cargo and looks wide enough for most things you’d want to stick in a trunk, including a bag of golf clubs or a large suitcase.
&&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_START&&&&& {“id”:1420680188547,”originalName”:”16Jaguar_XF_ES_23.jpg”,”name”:”16Jaguar_XF_ES_23.jpg”,”extension”:”jpg”,”URI”:”/32/-2073034952-1427916339732.jpg”,”createDate”:”2015-04-01 02:25:40″,”metadata”:{“AUTHOR”:”Cars.com photo by Evan Sears”,”CAPTION”:”2016 Jaguar XF;”,”KEYWORDS”:”xf,ES,NYIAS,2016 Jaguar XF,XF NYIAS”},”href”:”https://www.cstatic-images.com/stock/1170×1170/32/-2073034952-1427916339732.jpg”,”externalid”:”93123″,”updatedby”:”JenniferGeiger”,”updateddate”:1427916368566,”associations”:{}} &&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_END&&&&&Increased passenger and cargo usability is great, but there’s a flashy “Wow” feature inside the XF that should attract techies like a fly to a bug zapper. The XF’s optional InControl Touch Pro is a 10.2-inch capacitive touch-screen with applications, customization and integration with the car that is just way cool. The huge 10.2-inch screen has the graphics and customization of a household tablet, plus stretches its usability to the completely digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster. Navigation has trick features like the cluster itself transforming to a full map, plus an automatic parking finder when approaching a destination in the city as well as an option for the car to text recipients’ estimated arrival times.
The new multimedia tech is housed inside a decidedly contemporary interior over the outgoing car’s aging insides. The XF no longer has to act as brand’s entry point with the soon-to-be-released compact XE, so Jaguar took the opportunity to spruce up the interior.
The XF’s overall package is now in a much better place to command the sort of asking price observed with the outgoing model but with substance that will help the XF compete closer with luxury rivals BMW 5 Series and Audi A6.
More on the 2016 Jaguar XF:
