2012 JAGUAR XF (X250) 3.0D V6 8AT RWD (275 HP)

Vehicle Overview

After escaping from Ford ownership, the British carmaker Jaguar rushed to the drawing boards to improve the cars it already had in its portfolio, and the XF was a safe bet for that.

While it was still linked to various parts from the American carmaker, Jaguar was keen to get new parts from other carmakers. It also enhanced the car’s lines, which were now closer to what Ian Callum penned for the 2007 XF, but they were too expensive to implement. Since Tata Industries owned the carmaker, it had the money to upgrade the premium mid-size sedan vehicle.

At the front, the carmaker completely restyled the front fascia. The new headlights sported an angry look but without the cut for the low-beam headlamp used on the 2007 model. It turned out that there were solutions for that, but Ford considered them too expensive. Now, those technologies, which included better lenses and different light-bulbs became more affordable. On top of that, Jaguar installed LED daytime running lights that underlined the headlights. At the back, the design team made a few adjustments to the taillights and extended them over the trunk lid.

Inside, the carmaker didn’t make too many changes. It changed the trims and a few colors, but the 2007 model was already well designed and too modern to be changed entirely.

Under the skin, the Jaguar XF was heavily improved. Unlike the 2007 model, it became accessible with inline-four turbocharged engines, either gasoline or diesel. The carmaker also replaced the six-speed automatic gearbox with a newer, eight-speed gearbox. Last but not least, it introduced an all-wheel-drive version with technology carried over from Land Rover.