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Full Test: 2015 Jaguar XF 3.0 AWD

3K views 19 replies 16 participants last post by  Ruperts Trooper 
#1 ·
Stand out from the herd.
Car & Driver
By: Andrew Wendler
November 2014


All-wheel-drive sports sedans are a prerequisite for any manufacturer serious about racking up sales in markets where the weather can get frightful. Jaguar learned this the hard way in places like the American Northeast, where BMW’s xDrive, Mercedes-Benz’s 4MATIC, and Audi’s Quattro AWD systems rendered the British brand’s products all but invisible.

That’s not to say that Jaguar is all of a sudden more than a bit player in comparison to the Teutonic trio, but its sales veritably exploded when it fast-tracked and retrofitted an all-wheel-drive system to the XF and XJ luxury sedans. And sports-car fans take note: Jaguar recently announced certain variants of the 2016 F-type would be available with AWD, too.

Although the rear-drive XF is available with engines ranging from a 240-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four to a stonkin’ 550-hp supercharged V-8, the AWD XF comes paired exclusively with the 340-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V-6. We’re not complaining, as the 3.0-liter is a brawny beast that churns up 332 lb-ft of twist from 3500 to 5000 rpm.

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#4 ·
My boss has one and usually I think it looks to......nondescript but he has the most perfect rims on it that make me lust for that car. I am proud of what Jag is doing they are really trying to fight back to relevance and seem to be winning at this point. As for Cadillac these are the things that take generations to work out. Truly this is the only advantage Benz and BMW have over Cadillac and that is they are generations ahead. Still if you update quickly and learn from your mistakes then you can catch up quick. Updates every 4 year will not cut it if you want to rise to the top fast and trust e Cadillac can they have already shorten the gap so much.
 
#7 ·
It's going to be a slow climb for Jaguar but within 5 years I'm betting they easily double U.S. sales. The new XE will be here early 2016, they'll probably have the all new XF on sale late 2016 and the Production CX-17 should be here shortly after that.

I've said it before, but I'll repeat it again. Cadillac and Jaguar will be the big luxury car winners within 5 years. Certainly neither will approach the sales volumes of the German trio, but both will grow at a much faster rate. Those increased sales have to come from somewhere, and IMO it won't all be down to growth in the China market .
 
#8 ·
I've said it before, but I'll repeat it again. Cadillac and Jaguar will be the big luxury car winners within 5 years. Certainly neither will approach the sales volumes of the German trio, but both will grow at a much faster rate. Those increased sales have to come from somewhere, and IMO it won't all be down to growth in the China market .
I agree.
But Jaguar has a far more focused lineup that Cadillac at this stage: compact sedan, midsize sedan/shooting brake, full size flagship, full size uber-flagship, sports car, grand tourer. And a CUV coming. There are diesels and hybrids, advanced I-4, V6's, V8's, and high performance V8s.

And it's better positioned in luxury circles with a growing reputation.
 
#11 ·
This is one alternative that does not require a "because it's not German" as a reason for buying it, although the dependability might give one pause.

It has aged quite well, although I much preferred the pre-update rear end. The question is how good the new one will be. Jaguar's ambitions are much like Cadillac's in terms of global success. Both are rising stars with more potential than Volvo or some of the other aspiring brands.

And as the OP said, CTS please.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Funny how we talk about this 'segment' of - what? uhh...compact...mmm ahh... rwd, uhh...

Bimmer 3s.

And everything else in the 'segment' represents a fraction of...mmm Bim3s.

And that's just it - the B3 sells because it is a conformist car - literally by definition you can't imitate the one car conformists all agree on.

Oh, but we'll sell to people trying to rebel against conformity! But that's not this 'segment.' Those people wouldn't demand the one 'in' car that fits in literally any big city on earth.

So attempts to 'stand out' from the Bim3 are by definition Quixotic.

Only way to succeed here is to pull a Ford Granada or Lexus LS400 - maybe Hyundai Genesis and literally just dare people to tell the difference between this and the 'in car.'








 
#15 ·
Funny how we talk about this 'segment' of - what? uhh...compact...mmm ahh... rwd, uhh...

Bimmer 3s.

And everything else in the 'segment' represents a fraction of...mmm Bim3s.
In any case it'd be the 5-Series, and there is a genuine segment here. While the 5-Series and E-Class making up the majority of sales in the segment, (probably at least half of the market share for this class, or two-thirds), there are definite numbers behind some of the others. Naturally everyone is attempting to build something like one or the other with their own brand "spin" on it, to various levels of success. But I wouldn't be surprised to see the landscape change moving forward, because I think the general formula is going to get more segmented. The Model S is only one of those, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more "alternatives" to the traditional gas and diesel engine setup beyond just hybrids. But the relative size and price range will likely remain comparable for a while.

Only way to succeed here is to pull a Ford Granada or Lexus LS400 - maybe Hyundai Genesis and literally just dare people to tell the difference between this and the 'in car.'
Pretty much. Audi did that for a time, and having cemented the A6 and brand name they now charge, well, German prices. Hyundai continues to move the Genesis upmarket in the US. Infiniti moved too quickly and now the M/Q70 sales slumped.

Ford ironically or otherwise marketed the current Taurus somewhat similarly after its introduction.







Not that this is an unusual way to market large sedans, but there ya go. Maybe Ford will continue to go that route with the Taurus in the future, since as a brand Ford can command solid premiums.
 
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