Jaguar XF 2015 News

Czech brand Skoda and British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have revealed which models will be recalled as part of the wide-spread mandatory Takata airbag call back.

Jaguar Land Rover Australia has recalled 642 examples of its XF luxury sedan, while Renault Australia has called back 1472 light-commercial Trafic vans.

The days of bargain-basement XF Jaguars are over.

If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. The adage explains why car makers like to launch their latest and greatest at the annual New York motor show. Many of the cars unveiled there won't make it here in the near future, if at all. CarsGuide casts an eye over the models that will.The Chevy Spark arrives wearing a Holden badge in early 2016.The company has addressed criticisms of the previous model by upgrading the fabrics, improving the fit and finish and stiffening the chassis to improve roadholding.The new Spark's looks have been streamlined with a longer wheelbase and lower body and there's a new more powerful 1.4-litre engine.Holden vehicle performance director Ian Butler says local engineers will give the car a local suspension and steering tune. "We made sure the car remains fun and agile but will now deliver even more sophistication," Butler says.The Civic coupe concept previews the 10th generation small car that will reach showrooms late this year.Designed by Honda's US studio along with the sedan — Europe will shape the hatchback — the Civic uses shorter overhangs and sharper lines to differentiate itself from the unloved previous model.The new model will have a 1.5-litre turbo engine matched to a six-speed auto or continuously variable transmission.Honda Australia head Steve Collins says the Civic is a crucial model. "Because it is a global car, ours will share some of the styling characteristics with the car just launched in New York and it will also have design features specific to our region."More interior space and more upmarket interiors mark the new Optima.A big hit in the US — Kia sold 160,000 last year — the Optima hasn't enjoyed such success locally.Kia Australia spokesman Kevin Hepworth says the new car is a more refined package, headlined by a 2.0-litre turbo engine that pushes the car to 100km/h in just on seven seconds. "(It has) improved ride, more rear space and an engine that will be a class benchmark for power and economy," Hepworth says.Top-spec US models use a 360 degree camera, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot alert. The car is due in Australia late this year.The 570S is aimed squarely at the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8 V10. Essentially a detuned version of the 650S supercar, the 570S nevertheless shares no panels with its big brother.The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 is retained, although outputs have been reduced to 420kW/600Nm. That's good for a 100km/h sprint time of 3.2 seconds.Its Australian launch is early 2016 — expect a price in the high $300,000s.The facelifted Outlander's most obvious change is the "dynamic shield" front end, to be worn by future Mitsubishis.Mitsubishi Motors Australia marketing head Tony Principe says the update includes revisions to the Outlander's suspension, steering and drivetrain."Outlander will continue to offer great SUV functionality, terrific fuel economy and low running costs," he says, "but it will now be significantly quieter, more responsive and even more enjoyable to drive, making it a real stand out in the medium SUV class."The Outlander is launched locally next week.The massive Lexus spindle grille and flared fenders make the new RX hard to miss. The SUV also gets a 50mm increase in wheelbase to differentiate it from its NX stablemate, but the extra length doesn't include an anticipated third row of seats.The vehicle will be sold with both a 3.5-litre V6 and a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, each good for 221kW.The RX will have head-up display, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, heated rear seats, and optional 11.6-inch rear entertainment screens. Optional safety gear includes lane departure and blind spot warning, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control.Built on the same aluminium-intensive architecture that underpins the XE and F-Type models, the XF is up to 190kg lighter than the current model.Interior upgrades are just as impressive, from head-up display to 10.2-inch infotainment setup using a quad-core Intel processor and ethernet connectivity for super-quick response. Touch and voice control abet smartphone-style apps for everything from remotely warming the car to calculating owners' arrival time at a destination.A new 2.0-litre turbo diesel will be the entry point while its supercharged petrol V6 puts out 280kW. Prices are expected to start below $80,000 when the XF arrives here early next year.The Boxster Spyder is all about driving purity, so owners will have to operate the fabric roof by hand. Based on the design and mechanicals of the Cayman GT4, this is the most powerful Boxster yet — its 276kW 3.8-litre boxer six-cylinder is lifted from the 911 Carrera and matched to a six-speed manual transmission. Porsche quotes 4.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint and fuel use of 9.9L/100km.The Spyder will arrive here in the third quarter, priced from $169,000.

Not that long ago, police cars used to come in two flavours: Falcon and Commodore. These days you'll find vehicles as diverse as Mitsubishi Lancers and Hyundai i45s patrolling the streets, not to mention a growing number of premium and exotic models masquerading as police vehicles.The latest marque to join this list is Jaguar, with officers from Rose Bay LAC in eastern Sydney taking delivery of a new XF luxury saloon.The $125,000 Jag has been loaned to the police by Sydney dealership Trivett Jaguar, and replaces the Polestar blue Volvo S60 used by the station since 2013.Trivett General Manager Garry Kelly says the relationship with the  eastern suburbs police support area brings benefits to both parties."We saw some vehicles out there doing the same thing and thought it would be a good opportunity to support the community and also be able to get the product out into the market place," he said.The 202kW/600Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbodiesel XF can do 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds, but is unlikely to ever do that in anger while in the custody of the thin blue line.Superintendent Brad Hodder from Rose Bay LAC says  the "community car"  won't see operational action."We use this for crime prevention and community engagement events where we can interact with the community," he said.The stand-out car acts as a point of interest for the community."It's an attraction to the vehicle. They then start to engage with the police, and then we can talk to people about crime prevention and how we make them safe in the community," Hodder said.Although it is decked out in police colours, the Rose Bay XF will otherwise remain standard, missing out on the lights and sirens usually seen on patrol cars.There are police actually driving it so we do still have the power to pull people overThat said, if you do happen drive past at a speed somewhat higher than the posted limit, you may find yourself getting inadvertently acquainted with it."There are police actually driving it so we do still have the power to pull people over," Superintended Hodder said.This isn't the first of its type to be handed over to the police. NSW Police already has an imported F150 Raptor truck, plus a Dick Johnson-tuned Ford Falcon GT-F and an HSV GTS in the garage.Ford's new Mustang, which arrives later this year, might also find itself pursuing a career in law enforcement.So is there a competition within NSW Police to get the most tricked-out car?"Officially, I'd have to say no," said Superintendent Hodder. "But yes, there is.""A few of the commands have their relevant vehicles, but I'm happy with the Jaguar. It fits right in with our local area command, and as a community engagement tool it's very positive."

The 59-year-old, one of the last senior executives from the tumultuous Jacques Nasser era, started as Ford's vice president of design in 1997 after working with BMW, Audi and Volkswagen.

The Indian-owned British marque Jaguar has new model variants on the way with naturally-aspirated V6 and V8 petrol engines falling by the wayside.