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2016 Jaguar XF Review

We last drove the new Jaguar XF in Spain last September, sampling it in 380-horsepower S spec and in 2.0-liter turbodiesel forms. We found both versions to provide a supple ride, despite some body roll, and loved the supercharged model's ample thrust from any engine speed. The ZF-provided eight-speed automatic was also applauded for its competence, making the sport paddles an unnecessary formality. If anything, our last drive only left us pining for a better infotainment system, as Jaguar Land Rover's painfully outdated one has been a target of our ire for a while. A limited amount of time behind the wheel, and a desire to see how much the slightly less powerful 2016 Jaguar XF 35t R-Sport gives away to its S-badged stablemate, leads us to our tester. In British Racing Green, the new XF is both more handsome than the slightly manic-looking old XF, yet also slightly more anonymous. This is a lithe shape, with crisp lines and few gimmicks, save the fender vents, which are about as tasteful as that element comes. The car's charms are especially evident from up front. Despite a distracting cut line, the hood is tastefully built up in two steps: a sharp rise from the headlight/fender area, and in the middle a tasteful power bulge. The overall effect is one of thoughtful, purposeful design – after all, this is Ian Callum's work – rather than taking a corporate-mandated design language and scaling it up or down to suit the hardpoints. Spend some time around FCA's UConnect system and you'll see where Jaguar needs to improve. Inside, this XF is a mixed bag. Let's start with the positives. Despite being shod in a rather boring black hide, the front seats are wonderfully comfortable and supportive without aggressive bolstering. The cabin would really wake up with a more interesting leather, like the brown that Jaguar calls "Brogue," covering the seats and door panels. Whatever you think of the rotary shift selector, the knurling on its diameter and the solidity of its action conveys the sense of craftsmanship you'd expect from a British luxury car. Some other controls, such as the cheap-looking and -feeling control stalks sprouting form the otherwise wonderful steering wheel, do not. And that takes us to the infotainment system. This XF does away with Jaguar's old, much-maligned user interface, which was blocky and balky in equal measures.

The 200-mph Jaguar F-Type SVR is coming to Geneva

Jaguar has good news for us: The new F-Type SVR will make its grand debut at March's Geneva Motor Show. Following up on leaked stats from last week, Jag confirms the hardtop F-Type SVR will be capable of hitting 200 miles per hour. The British brand doesn't go much further in confirming other details from last week's report, though. So even though the top end's extra 14 mph has to come from somewhere, we still can't be certain it'll be thanks to a reported 567 horsepower or 516 pound-feet of torque. Jag also won't yet confirm the reported claim of a 3.7-second sprint to 62 mph. What the company is saying, though, is that its first SVR-badged model will be "lighter, faster, and more powerful." JLR's Special Operations boss, John Edwards, calls the new SVR an "all-weather supercar." That lends credence to initial reports that the hottest F-Type will send its power to all four wheels. While the F-Type SVR will hit the Geneva stage on March 1, we won't be waiting that long for all the details – Jaguar will release a complete array of images and details on February 17. We'll have more then. 200MPH JAGUAR F-TYPE SVR TO MAKE GLOBAL DEBUT AT 2016 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW (MAHWAH, N.J.) – January 26, 2016 - The new 2017 Jaguar F-TYPE SVR will make its global debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show on March 1, 2016 and will go on sale in summer 2016. Capable of accelerating to 200mph, the new F-TYPE SVR is the first Jaguar to wear the SVR badge and is developed to exploit the two-seat aluminum sports car's full potential while retaining its day-to-day usability. Lighter, faster and more powerful, the new F-TYPE SVR takes performance, dynamics and driver involvement to a new level yet retains the comfort and duality of character inherent to all Jaguar cars. "The new F-TYPE SVR is the first series production Jaguar car to be developed by Special Vehicle Operations and benefits from everything we know about precision engineering, performance and design," said John Edwards, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations. "The result is a 200mph, all-weather supercar that you can drive every day – we even made a Convertible version so that enthusiasts can revel in the sound from the new titanium exhaust system." The new F-TYPE SVR will join the 2017 Model Year F-TYPE Coupe and Convertible range comprising of the F-TYPE, F-TYPE Premium, F-TYPE S, F-TYPE British Design Edition and F-TYPE R.

Jaguar XFR-S is motor-porn on a mountain road

The 2014 Jaguar XFR-S might have only been good enough to take the runner-up spot in our Editor's Choice top five debuts at the LA Auto Show, but we'd be hard-pressed to find a car with a more exhilarating exhaust note. As proof of this, Jaguar released a video showing the XFR-S tearing up a windy, European mountain road in close to a minute of hardcore driving footage.
The big blue cat has the same great exhaust note of the XKR-S, and the driver puts all of the car's 550 horsepower to work demonstrating the handling - and drifting - abilities of the new XFR-S. If there's any disappointment to be had, it's the fact that you have to jump to the 30-second mark of the video for any of the action to start.
Scroll down to watch the video, and be sure your speakers are turned all the way up.