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The time spent feeling sorry for Tata lasted only as long as it took to stroll around the 2009 Jaguar XF much less before slipping onto the sumptuous leather seats and watching the gearshift dial rise from the center console.

Tata, the Indian automaker, wrote a check for $2.3 billion to take Jaguar off Ford Motor Co.’s hands. The British icon tarnished by more physical ailments than a room full of octogenarians before being acquired for $2.5 billion in 1989 by a flush Ford was sold to fill coffers depleted in part by what it spent to fix Jag’s mechanical ills.

(To add to the bargain, Ford tossed in Land Rover, which it picked up for $2.7 billion in 2000.)

The XF, first in the remake of the stable, is evidence Tata got a promising lineup and unless it has more money than brains, it should do well.

You may want to shed a tear for Ford, however. If the XF is indeed an indication of things to come, the No. 2 U.S. automaker goofed big time.

While Jaguar sells X, S, XJ and XK type vehicles for 2008, the 2009 lineup gets the X and S out. The XF premium midsize sedan replaces the S-Type.

There are no plans to replace the X-Type, the premium compact unveiled at the New York Auto Show several years ago to reduce the price of entry to Jaguar. But a car that looked like a Buick and sold like an Olds probably won’t be missed.

The rear-wheel-drive XF offers the same 4.2-liter, 300-horsepower or 4.2-liter, 420-h.p., supercharged V-8 as the S-Type. We tested the XF in Premium Luxury trim with the 300 h.p. engine, which can motor from the stoplight just fine, thank you.

It lacks the off-the-line burst of the supercharged version, but it does better at the pumps with a 16 m.p.g. city/25 m.p.g. highway rating (15/23 with supercharging).

Citing the higher mileage is the only way to disguise disappointment that the tamer of the two was delivered for road testing after spending time with both at the Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The blow can be measured in the 1.1-second difference in zero- to 60-m.p.h. times of the 300-h.p. (6.2 seconds) and 420-h.p. versions (5.1).

The 2009 XF also wears Jaguar’s future design direction. The air dam and wire-mesh grille; creased hood; jewel-like headlamps; multispoke 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels; and deck-lid leaper say luxury, an image missing the last few years. Comments turned to “wow” from the “oh” more prevalent recently-especially on the bargain basement X-Type.

Ride is smooth and quiet with standard CATS, or computer activated technology suspension, that automatically adjusts to iron out irregularities in the road. Handling is precise with speed-sensitive power steering and those 19-inch treads. Traction control and stability control keep you going in the direction pointed. Brakes require only light pressure to bring you back down from speed in a straight line; four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard.

The novelty is the dial-it-up gearshift. Push the engine start button and the dial rises from the center console. Twist it to D, and the 6-speed automatic does the rest. When you turn the engine off, via push button, of course, the dial retracts into the console.

Paddles on the steering wheel engage manual mode shifting. If you accidentally hit one while in “D,” however, it feels like the chute just opened as manual mode kicks in.

The cabin is comfortable, though nearly snug. Good but not great leg, knee and head room in back. Trunk space is ample for luggage. Rear seat backs fold flat if you need to carry more but the release latch is in the trunk.

The XF Premium Luxury starts at a too hefty $55,200 though it comes standard with all the goodies noted plus side-curtain air bags; 320-watt AM/FM Alpine audio system with CD player; keyless entry; DVD navigation system; rain-sensing wipers; ventilated heated/cooled front seats; 10-way power driver/passenger seats; Bluetooth wireless technology for cell phone; USB port and power plug under the center armrest; climate control; voice-activation; touch screen for audio/climate control; power locks/windows/mirrors/adjustable steering column; and a trio of cupholders upfront, a pair in back.

With the XF, Jaguar could be making a long-awaited comeback. Too bad Ford won’t be along for the ride.

Read Jim Mateja Sunday in Transportation. Contact him at transportation@tribune.com.