2009 Jaguar XF

A remarkable thing happened just as Jaguar launched this sexy, silky new cat: it changed owners. After sinking multi-millions into the legendary British marque, Ford Motor Co. finally gave up on making it profitable and sold it (and its fellow-Brit distant cousin Land Rover) to the very big and profitable Indian conglomerate Tata Motors Ltd.


Anyone who knows cats knows they tend more toward attachment to places than people. Leave them alone when they want to be, keep their food and water replenished, and most won’t much care who provides it. This one—still veddy British, still built and run by the same mostly British people—should get along fine with its geographically distant new master.

Exterior Design

One thing Jaguar sedans have needed for a while is a fresh and sexy new look, and this is it. It debuted a couple of years ago as a production-intent concept car and has made it to market mostly intact. “It has always been my career goal to return Jaguar to its rightful place as a leader in automotive design,” says Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum.


Smaller than Jaguar’s flagship XJ sedan, this new midsize XF is a five-seat four-door with a coupe-like profile and proportions more like Jag’s beautiful XK sports cars. It shares the XKs’ swept-back windshield, and its waistline rises to meet its roof, instead of the other way around, to ensure sufficient rear headroom. That gives it a higher tail than previous Jaguars, good for improved aerodynamics and 17.7 cu. ft. of cargo volume.


Jaguar says the XF has the lowest aero drag (0.29 Cd) of any production Jaguar ever, and its front-to-rear lift balance is precisely zero for excellent high-speed stability. Its interior room and comfort “challenge for best in class” among natural competitors Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G35, Lexus GS and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.


The 2009 XF’s fresh Jaguar face begins with a bold mesh grille from which feature lines stream rearward over its hood and cabin. Its quad-element headlamps wrap onto the front fenders, and its lower bumper incorporates large air intakes split by twisted chrome “propeller” blades. Exterior details, like the “Jaguar”-embossed chrome side vents, look like fine crafted jewelry. Around back, a bright signature blade extends into the taillamps, which wrap onto the rear fenders toward the broad, muscular rear wheel arches. Pushed outward to the extremes of the body, available wheel sizes begin at a hefty 18 inches and extend to 19 and (standard on Supercharged models) 20-inch alloys.