Jaguar XF review - Engines, performance and drive

Thanks to its aluminium underpinnings, the XF is relatively light compared to its rivals, which helps the way it rides and handles. The suspension keeps the body tied down nicely during cornering, so there’s plenty of composure – but there’s also lots of comfort on offer, as the XF boasts that typically plush ride quality big Jags have always possessed.

Show the XF a twisty road, and the fast steering means the car is eager to tackle bends. The car turns in sharply and while it can feel over-alert at times, we prefer this responsive nature to sluggish, relaxed steering. AWD versions strike a good balance between keeping the tidy rear-wheel drive feeling to the handling and adding lots of grip for poor conditions.

In Dynamic mode the car feels tauter and more alive, responding to direction changes quickly and cornering flatter. But in Comfort the ride quality is good, even on big wheels, and the dampers filter out most lumps and bumps, with only serious road imperfections being felt inside the car.

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Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

As many XF buyers will be business users, CO2 emissions are vitally important in this sector – which is why Jaguar opted to go almost exclusively for diesel when it launched the second generation model, although more petrol options became available over time. 

The manufacturer now includes just a single 2.0-litre diesel engine, although it does feature mild-hybrid tech to help reduce CO2 emissions and boost fuel economy. The rear-wheel-drive D200 version manages the sprint from 0-62mph in 7.6s, with the all-wheel drive car two tenths slower to the same mark. Both are capable of a top speed of 143mph.

Customers choosing either the P250 or P300 petrol variants will benefit from improved performance: the former posting a 6.9s dash to 62mph and the latter a hot-hatch rivalling 6.1s, with both going on to a maximum speed of 155mph.