There was a time when the stereotypical Jaguar driver was an old man who drove wearing a hat. But I am happy to say this is no longer the case because the current prowl of Jaguar cars are very stylish indeed.
The 20MY XF is no exception and I recently spent a week with the Chequered Flag 30t Sedan. The Chequered Flag XF has a stylish exterior design and comes with the Black Pack, Gloss Black side vents with Chequered Flag badge, Body‑coloured side sills, S front bumper with body‑coloured cheeks and smart 10 spoke 19″ wheels in gloss sparkle silver.
Don’t be deceived by the badging, it actually has the 2.0l turbocharged petrol engine that produces 221kW and 400Nm of torque, which is enough to propel the XF from 0-100km/hr in 6.0 seconds. The official combined fuel consumption is 6.8L/100km and for my week I used 9.2L/100km.
Whether you choose Comfort or Dynamic drive mode the ride is pleasant. In Dynamic mode you can also elect to configure the Engine, Steering and Gear Shift between Comfort and Dynamic (Configurable Dynamics are a $1,160 option). You also get a lap timer, G-meter and brake/accelerator race. But in reality you’re not going to use this as the engine may be perky, but it is not going to set your world on fire. Under hard cornering there is some body role, but for everyday driving the suspension offers a good real world balance.
On the inside the sportiness continues with the Ebony-Pimento leather trim and the Ebony suede cloth headlining. The front seats are 10-way power adjusted and the driver gets three memory positions and none for the passenger. My seats were also heated which is an $840 optional extra.
The XF comes standard with the 10” touch pro infotainment system with Navigation Pro and ability to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot in the car. You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Where the Jaguar system is let down compared to the infotainment systems in BMW or Mercedes-Benz is the quality of the voice control technology. In the Jaguar you can only do simple tasks with voice control like make a phone call; the system will not even let you enter a destination as this feature is not available in Australian Jaguar models.
The digital driver’s dash is nice through and can be configured multiple ways depending on your preference. The steering wheel is a good design and in very pleasant to hold also. The gloss black centre console trim is prone to gather dust and finger prints, so you will need to store a microfibre cloth under the arm rest to keep it clean. Under here you also get one 12V outlet, two USB ports and a micro sim slot for internet access. However the two cup holders in the centre console are not wide enough for drink bottles and you can’t fit a drink bottle into the door cubby either.
The pleasant trim extends into the rear seats and these offer plenty of head and leg room for two adults to comfortably sit back there. There are two ISOFIX/ three tear tether child seat restraint points. The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two cup holders, but like the front doors there is no room for water bottle storage in the door cubbies, meaning your child’s drink bottle would need to be stored in the elastic net on the back of the front seats. Rear passengers only get air vents in the rear of the centre console with speed control and one 12V outlet.
The XF boot is huge and would easily swallow the pram and weekly shop. There are two hooks and four tie down points in the boot and you also get a space saver spare tyre.
My XF was fitted with the optional Active Safety Pack ($4,720) which includes Blind Spot Assist (with or without steering assist) and Reverse Traffic Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist, Lane Keep Assist (with either steering assist or steering vibrate) and Driver Condition Monitor. I found that the system braked too hard when I was using adaptive cruise. Standard safety features include Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking and reversing camera with 360o sensors.
The XF comes with front airbags, front side airbags and full length side window curtain airbags. All XF variants from 2016 onwards have a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Adult occupant protection scores 36.0 out of 38 (94%) and child occupant protection scores 41.2 out of 49 (84%).
All new Jaguars are covered by a warranty lasting three-years/100,000kms and you can also opt to purchase a Service Plan for your new XF and costs $1,750 for the 2.0L petrol engine and covers service costs for up to five years or 130,000km.
The Jaguar XF may lack a bit on the technology front, but it makes this up in style and comfort. The XF Chequered Flag 30t sedan costs $101,400 and as tested my XF was $114,550 plus on road costs. Visit your preferred Jaguar Retailer to explore the MY20 XF range for yourself.
| Pros | Cons |
| Stylish design inside and out | Infotainment not up to current standard |
| Comfortable drive | Only has a three year warranty |
| Huge boot | Lack of drink bottle storage options |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.