Feel the quality as Jaguar goes for value

This is a difficult time to write about luxury cars, as bankers are being forced to cut their wages and bonuses, TDs are being asked to take a salary hit and so are many others in the top pay brackets. I"m not expecting too much sympathy for them but these people tend to be the luxury car drivers, the target market for the new Jaguar XF. But does the Jaguar badge have to mean excessive motoring costs? Not when you have a 2.7 litre V6 diesel engine under the bonnet and a lower entry price since the start of January. That"s the message with the new Jaguar XF which I recently test-drove, where the luxury and style of the Jaguar brand have been blended carefully into a modern design and more efficient car. On first impressions, the XF may appear over the top. Dig deeper and you"ll see the value in this stylish motor car. The new XF blends sportscar looks with the refinement that you would expect from a luxury car. Times have changed at Jaguar and diesel power has been refined and put under the bonnet. Style and comfort have been enhanced and new design has been encouraged in a car that I believe is set to become iconic for the Jaguar brand. The XF fitted with a 2.7 litre V6 turbo-diesel engine is a dream car come true. It comes with impressive power and torque as a match for its modern automatic gearbox. The engine develops 204bhp, which is ahead of most of the luxury diesel competition, including the BMW 525d. On the torque score, the Jaguar XF is supreme. The high torque rating ensures a high acceleration speed of 7.7 seconds in a 0 to 100km/h race, despite the fact that it is a relatively heavy motor. It has a shift-by-wire automatic transmission control system to give a smooth power flow to the drive wheels. Once you press the start button, the Jaguar Drive Selector rises smoothly to allow you to select the motion in the palm of your hand. The transmission options are easy to use with your fingertips and you can opt for D or S settings, the latter giving a more sporty drive option. Once you select D, the electronic handbrake is released automatically. The system is a dream to use and adds to the luxury and quality feel to the car. While there is big diesel engine performance from the car, the new XF comes with more modest economy figures relative to some of its more thrifty competition. The fuel economy figures at 7.5 l/100km (37.6mpg) in the combined driving cycle is an improvement of 50 per cent compared to the petrol-powered Jags of the past. But it"s still short of the economy performance of the Audi A6 and BMW 525d, both with matching acceleration speeds. And this is despite the fact that the Jaguar is lighter than the other two. While this car can deliver a relatively good economy level, its big attraction is the luxury and style with affordable running costs. Some 10 years ago, small cars struggled to achieve these economy levels; now the Jaguar XF does and it with style and luxury to match. Once you sit inside this car, you"ll be in awe of its styling and technology. The minute you engage the start button, the rotating air vents move silently to a functional position. The touch-screen information and sat-nav system comes into action effortlessly and you immediately want to start driving. Jaguar has an impressive Bluetooth phone system that"s easy to set up and clear to use. The seats and cockpit area smell of leather luxury. In the test car, the leather seat seams were double stitched to add strength and character. The rear is comfortable without being overly spacious. The doors feel strong and secure and the boot area is reasonably adequate. The entry price for the 2.7 litre V6 Jaguar XF diesel is €57,860, which is a lot of money in today"s world. In price terms, it"s a match for the BMW 525d and the Audi A6, each with similar sized engines. Mercedes-Benz offers better value for its E280 model, while the hybrid Lexus GS450h is the priciest of all. The XF is competitive in the world of luxury motoring and it"s an impressive driving experience to boot.