2016 Jaguar XF First Drive and Review

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The 2016 Jaguar XF is here to remind us that the British brand builds exciting daily drivers. The original XF was the sedan that broke the decades-old styling mold for Jaguar and deactivated the cloaking device that had previously made its four-door options invisible to anyone under the age of 55. Not so much 'new money' as 'new energy,' the slick duds donned by the XF have been judiciously tweaked for 2016, preserving the vitality of the design while simultaneously updating it just enough to keep pace with the constant flow of the luxury continuum. Don't let the hands-off approach to the 2016 Jaguar XF's first impression fool you, however - the car's entire chassis has been subjected to engineering alchemy that transfigures much of its previously-steel underpinnings to aluminum in a bid to lower its curb weight. There's also a revised range of engines to choose from and a renewed focus on luxury on the features list. Taken together, the redesigned XF makes a stronger case for inclusion alongside the usual German suspects when shopping for a premium mid-size sedan.

Squint to Spot the Changes

Unless you park them side-by-side you'd be hard-pressed to point out all the changes that have been made to the 2016 Jaguar XF's sheet metal. Up front you've got the requisite resizing of the lower air intakes in the bumper, along with a larger grille and more aggressive (and LED-framed) headlights, while keen eyes will also notice the erasure of the scalloped vent just behind the fender (replaced by the extension of the chrome inlet that once sat above it). Some of these alterations, including the longer tapering of the rear deck, were driven by aerodynamic concerns while others (such as the installation of quarter windows at the rear, and the aping of the F-Type's taillight design) aim to update the XF's visual palette. It's a worthwhile effort, for the 2016 Jaguar XF comes across as lithe and vital in a way that stands out in a class dominated by blockier designs from BMW (the 5 Series) and Audi (the A6). This is especially true when found in S trim, which allows you to swap chrome for body-colored trim, adding sinew to an already athletic silhouette.

More Aluminum to Add Lightness

Although it might sound counter-intuitive, sometimes less is more in the luxury car business. Specifically, I'm referring to weight: every pound of fat that can be trimmed from a vehicle's platform can be replaced by leather, subwoofers, humidors, and touchscreens. The 2016 Jaguar XF is between 132 and 265 lb-ft lighter than the model it replaces, depending on which trim level is ordered, and that's due to the increased use of aluminum throughout its construction. A full 75 percent of the Jaguar XF is hewn from the low-mass metal, including both chassis and body panels, allowing it to check in with a curb weight of 3,770 lbs - not much heavier than the dimensionally-smaller Ford Mustang GT coupe.

Bigger Inside, Smaller Outside

The 2016 Jaguar XF is shorter and lower than the model it replaces, and yet it manages to offer better interior room, especially for those riding in the rear. The sedan turns this particular trick by stretching where it counts: the car's wheelbase is now a full two inches longer than it was the year before, balanced out by the decision to shave 2.6-inches from the car's front overhang. Backseat passengers benefit from just over a half inch of extra legroom, while a reconfigured roofline liberates 1.1-inches of headroom. Jaguar has also taken steps to imbue the XF's cabin with a new sense of style that belies its advancement from entry-level option to mid-tier selection. With the 2017 Jaguar XE now aimed at attracting first-time luxury buyers, the XF is free to raise the rent on its interior amenities, and 2016's revised dashboard and center console layout are welcome additions that clean up and modernize the car's control surfaces. I'd prefer a more attractive gauge cluster - why not a full TFT setup on the options sheet, at least? - but overall the Jaguar XF's carefully-selected materials and sleek-looking knobs, buttons, and dials contribute to a sufficiently upscale personality that stands comfortably alongside the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW 5 Series.

A Pair of Supercharged V-6 Engines Awaits

Initially, the 2016 Jaguar XF offers customers the choice between two versions of the automaker's ubiquitous 3.0-liter supercharged V-6. As with the F-Type coupe and roadster, it's all about the tuning when making your decision at buying time: the entry-level version in the XF 35t (Premium, Prestige, and R-Sport trims) generates 340 horsepower, while the XF S is good for 380 ponies. Torque stays flat at 332 lb-ft across the board, and Jaguar's excellent ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission (with available paddle shifters) is included free of charge with every model. Fuel mileage is decent, too. You get 20-mpg in stop and go driving and 30-mpg on the highway with either engine, should you stick with rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional with both versions of the XF, and while official fuel consumption figures aren't yet available for this configuration, expect it to feature only a small dip in the sedan's frugality. The all-wheel drive system offers a rear bias in order to enhance handling, and like most of the XF's mechanical bits the chain-driven system has been sourced from the F-Type (making it a more efficient an upgrade over 2014's all-wheel-drive option).

Turbocharged Gas and Turbodiesel Drivetrains Are Coming

Jaguar isn't immune to the siren song of more efficient, small-displacement turbocharged engines that has charmed every single luxury automaker in the XF's class. As with the model that came before it, the 2016 Jaguar XF will eventually offer a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood - but it won't bear any relation to its predecessor. Instead, the motor will hail from Jaguar's new Ingenium family, and should produce roughly 240 horsepower once it's tuned for American audiences. Jaguar has also made a commitment to produce turbodiesel Ingenium editions of the XF, despite the dark, sooty cloud that currently hangs over that segment thanks to Volkswagen's backroom emissions shenanigans. The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel four-cylinder will produce 180 horses and 317 lb-ft of torque when it goes on-sale in the summer of 2016 (at roughly the same time as the Ingenium gas motor), and should offer at the very least 40-mpg on the highway.

Improved XF Offers Smoother, More Lively Driving Experience

The Jaguar XF has always been an agreeable traveling companion, but for 2016 the car feels significantly more focused. On the two-lane blacktop just outside of Sedona, Arizona, paved over the circuitous mining paths that once wound up and down the red stony cliffs that the region is famous for, the Jaguar XF S was a willing co-conspirator. Outfitted with an adaptive suspension system that deftly walked the line between soft and sharp, the XF S charged across the arid landscape, its new-for-2016 electric power steering system giving me the feedback I needed to ignore the absence of guard rails between the shoulder and the 300-foot drop into the empty valley that ringed the road. Confident, but never pushy, the 380 horses available from its supercharged V-6 felt every inch the match for BMW's popular turbocharged six-cylinder setup. Jaguar claims a 0-60-mph sprint of 5.1 seconds for the rear-wheel drive edition of the XF S, with a few more ticks required to span the same distance in the base model. I love the eight-speed autobox in the Jaguar - it's one of the best on the market, and even if you ignore the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, you'll rarely catch the ZF unit flatfooted. The S also features selectable drive modes (with Dynamic offering you the most spring in your step), as well as a torque vectoring feature that pivots the XF around a corner by braking the inner wheels.

Where's the (Aural) Beef?

There's one thing missing from the 2016 Jaguar XF S experience, and it's tied-in to the tailpipes. Unlike the F-Type, Jaguar has neglected to offer an active exhaust option with any version of the XF sedan, which means mid-size shoppers are denied one of my favorite aspects of almost every Jaguar or Land Rover product: a mellifluous engine note blaring out off-throttle like someone's tossing a series of hand-grenades from the trunk. Jaguar does internal combustion sound design better than any other automaker targeting the $100k-and-under demographic, and I can't think of any reason as to why the XF can't get in on the active exhaust game, too - unless, of course, it's being saved for the supercharged V-8 in the rumored XF-R.

InControl Touch Still Lags the Competition

Technology becomes the 2016 Jaguar XF, which boasts adaptive cruise control, a bevy of active safety features, and even a head-up display that provides the driver not just with navigation prompts and a speedometer read-out, but also a handy reminder of the local speed limit (75-mph on many enlightened stretches of Arizona road). Unfortunately, not all aspects of the XF's tech experience perform at the same level. The sedan's new InControl Touch system replaces the old school touchscreen infotainment system that was offered in the 2015 XF, and while it definitely improves on the graphics and layout of the earlier design, it's not as responsive as many other modern interfaces when it comes time to peruse its menus. Even using the hard buttons underneath the screen - to call up the climate-controlled seats, for example - can result in lag, and scrolling the navigation map with your finger is an exercise in frustration. An even newer version of InControl Touch (called 'InControl Touch Pro') is waiting in the wings for deployment later next year, and it will offer a 10.2-inch screen in place of the existing unit's 8-inch setup, along with a faster processor and improved connectivity options. I'm hopeful that Pro might finally give Jaguar a competitive entry in the infotainment sweepstakes.

Pros: •    Athletic, yet classy styling •    Larger interior •    Comfortable ride, yet still sporty for its size •    Excellent supercharged power •    Relatively fuel efficient •    Affordable starting price •    Available all-wheel drive Cons: •    Balky infotainment system •    No active exhaust available •    Where's the TFT gauge cluster on top-trim models? •    Your neighbor might mistake it for a 2015