Jaguar XF News

Though artfully camouflaged, the snaps from Carparazzi show the front and rear end of the forthcoming XFR will be, if not of the same design language, then at least on speaking terms with the new XJ. Indeed, the new headlights and front bumper look very similar to its big brother. LEDs should be in store for the tailights, and likely the now almost compulsory daytime running lights in front.The interior is camouflaged on these prototypes, so we can expect a significant change there also. Modest updates to the powertrains may also be in the works.

As the XF sport sedan racks up solid sales around the world, and the flagship XJ hits the road, Jaguar has shifted focus to creating a sports car with the same impact as the E-Type of the 1960s. It has no plans to go retro with a 21st century E-Type, and is not even planning to use the same name, but knows its new two-seater must be something special."Now the real work starts. It's an exciting time for us now," says Jaguar's design chief, Ian Callum. "I'm not trying to reference the E-Type, although there are things about the E-Type I like. You cannot do a car like that these days, with all the regulations and things. Above all, it's got to be a pretty car."Jaguar has yet to confirm a sports car program, only referring to the project officially as "our fourth car" - after the two-door XK, XF and XJ - but it is an open secret in talks during the XJ launch in Paris. "We are working on sports cars. It has to be something like that," Callum says.The man who heads the sports car project, Jaguar Land Rover's head of product development Phil Hodgkinson, says the car is vital. "We had to evolve the brand and make hay. We have to pitch the next one very carefully," he says. "The key word is confidence. When you are confident you can be a bit braver, a bit bolder. Our belief is probably higher than it's ever been."Jaguar sources confirmed the sports car will be built in aluminium, most likely with the engine in the front, and the powerplants are expected to be V6 and V8s running on petrol. Hodgkinson says Jaguar should double its sales this year from 52,000 in 2009 and promises the company will not repeat the mistake it made with the baby X-Type, which was just a re-bodied Ford Mondeo."There is a clear strategy. You should have no fears. We know what we're doing. In the past we've been schizophrenic. We've got to get rid of the old man's car image at Jaguar. We've got to get a car that a 25 year old, even if they cannot afford it, is a car that want to have. We want to develop and evolve sports cars and more sporty sedans, and driver's cars. We want a sports car." 

Million dollar extravagance alongside budget buggies, runaway horsepower side-by-side with eco warriors. Its the eclectic mix that makes the Geneva one of the most anticipated events on the annual motor show circuit.As major car manufacturers battle for survival in the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, its all spit, polish and business as usual inside the Palexpo complex in the world's banking capital.Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Maybach spruiked their million-dollar babies alongside a tiny Smart, Chrysler's European debut for its vision of an electric future and a full range of real-world hybrid and dual-fuel models.There were the wild and wacky concepts — fewer than in the halcyon days, an acknowledgement that times are tough — and a mix of models that will grace showrooms in the coming year.Also fighting for attention were the usual array of specialists like Brabus, Startech and Zagato adding even greater gloss and performance to mainstream models as well as tiny Euro operations producing outlandish stars of their own imagining — badges such as Sbarro, Gumpert, Spyker and Koenigsegg.So, what were the stars of the 2009 Geneva Show?Ask a hundred people and you will probably get 100 different answers, but from a purely personal point of view here is one version of a Top 10. Citroen DS Inside Concept: A concept in name only, the little Mini rival will spearhead Citroen's new DS naming convention when it launches next year. Sleek, stylish and boasting a hybrid-diesel powertrain, the DS (the manufacturer says that stands for different spirit) caught the eye and the imagination with emotional, if not styling, hints of the truly radical DS on the 1950s.Hyundai ix-onic concept: Gone are the days when you looked on a Korean concept with a sense of synmpathy. While the ix-onic is clearly an exaggeration of the marques next SUV generation there is enough about it to whet the appetite. As important as the styling is the news that the ix-onic carries DSG gearbox and stop/start eco-technology. Look for for it all in the next generation of Tucson compact SUV next year.Pagani Zonda Cinque: A personal favourite. Not so much a car as a piece of very, very fast art. The latest offering from designer Horatio Pagani uses the company's own bespoke carbon-titanium material to shape a truly gorgeous body — and it goes. Zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and back to zero in 2.1. Enough sauid. Chevrolet Spark: Far more super-realistic than super-car, the little Spark is none-the-less an excellent example of its kind. Developed from the General Motors Beat concept shown in New York two years ago, the Spark is a bright rendition of a city car which, despite its name, is not electric nor even hybrid. On sale in Europe this year, don't be surprised if it comes under serious consideration for life with a Holden badge.Mercedes E-Class Coupe: The outstanding model from the new E-Class range. While the sedan version of the new generation E-Class had been seen in Detroit in January this was the Coupe's first outing — and well worth the wait. A really pretty rendition of a true coupe style.Audi TT RS: There was no shortage of new Audis in Geneva with the A5 and S5 Cabriolets on show but they were put in the shade by this hot version of the cool TT. What really sets this one apart is the use of a rorty 5-cylinder engine which is a hint to a wider future use of the powerplant behind the four-rings badge.Maybach Zeppelin: Outrageous, outlandish and unapologetically designed to shout "look what I've got that you don't", the latest Maybach earns its spot in the top 10 for offering a stone interior as an option. The high-tech process for bending Indian granite around complex surfaces is more Jetsons than Flintstones and about as left-field as anything seen in a production car. Aston Martin One-77: Another conspicuous statement of wealth, this super-exclusive super-car — only 77 are being made — exudes power and style. Everything about this car is special, right through to the unique 7.3-litre V12 massaged out of the company's standard 6.0-litre unit by Cosworth. It is believed at least one of these beauties is heading for Australia.Jaguar XFR: It has been a little while coming but Jaguar has put some real bite into its award-winning XF range with the arrival of the high-performance R version. Without over-burdoning the car with fancy, garish aero bits there is little doubt the XFR looks the biz. The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 under the bonnet doesn't hurt, either. Fiat 500C convertible: Not really a convertible in the contempory sense of the word, this latest rendition of the insufferably cute Fiat 500 is a must-have fashion accessory. The rollback sot top is true to the style of the original 1950s car with the centre of the roof rolling back to open the passengers to the skies without the complicated engineering of removing roof rails or C-pillars.

Sales of the British brand have jumped by eight per cent since the all- new, mid-sized XF arrived in 2008 and now it is going to get its own boost.The kick comes from the supercharged 5-litre V8 engine in the flagship XFR which was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show ahead of local sales in the second half of the year.The XF is the latest Cat to get the R-car treatment and the pattern is predictable and positive: a major engine upgrade, body bits, bigger wheels and brakes, and some mild tweaking in the cabin.The R-car work has already done the job for Jaguar's XK sports cars and the flagship XJ and the company is expecting a solid response in Australia."One of the problems we've had in the past is under-calling the demand for the R models. With the XK, around 65 to 70 per cent of demand is for the R," says David Blackall, the managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Australia."So the R cars have done well in Australia. People tend to gravitate to the best, particularly when they are paying for a Jaguar."The starting price for an XF in Australia is now $108,350 with a V6 engine, but jumping all the way to the XFR is going to mean close to double the price. And that is likely to keep the car exclusive."The car is probably going to be around $200,00 and we reckon if we can do 25 it will be a good result," says Blackall."In Normal times I would like to sell 50, so with the market the way it is hope to do 25 to the end of the year. In any case, we want to keep it as exclusive as we can."Blackall is also concerned to keep demand for the XF SV8, which comes with a 4.2-litre V8 at $173,170, moving along until the R-car hits."A lot of this is going to depend on how quickly we can get the XFR.We've still got some SV8s, although not too many now."We are targeting around the middle of the year for the R."The XFR was shown in Detroit with trendy white bodywork, which does not look nearly as tough as the jet-black colour normally used for Jaguar's hero cars.But there was a matt-black XFR on the back of the stand which had just returned from a record run on the Bonneville salt-flats in the USA, where it was clocked at 363km/h to become the fastest car in the company's history. Of course, it had some tweaking . . .The production XFR has 375 kiloWatts from its supercharged and direct- injection V8, as well as 624 Newton-metres of torque. If the numbers sound a little familiar, they match the output of the V10-powered BMW M5.Power is fed to the rear end through a six-speed automatic gearbox with a new active differential, with the car's electronic controls including a 'drift' setting for a little rear-end slide.Body changes run from the predictable front air dam and rear spoiler to the R cars' signature chrome mesh grille, with extra bonnet vents to cool the engine.The XFR has been dropped 27 millimetres lower than the SV8 with Bilstein suspension, upgraded brakes and four exhaust tips under the tail.Inside, the seats have more side support, there is upgraded trim and some R-car logos, as well as the acoustic laminated windscreen and upgraded satnav common to the latest XF range.The bottom line on the go-faster XF is a car that has 23 per cent more power and 12 per cent more torque than its 4.2-litre V8 predecessor.That means it jumps to 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds and has to be held back to a top speed of 250km/h.But Jaguar's good news for '09 does not end with the XFR because the company is also into the countdown for its all-new luxury XJ model.It is expected to be previewed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October with deliveries in Australia from early in 2010.But Blackall is not giving anything away."The car is on track. There will be northern hemisphere announcements at the right time," he says."Given the state of the world, the quicker we can get it into showrooms the better for Jaguar." 

It would have been so easy for the Blue Oval team to drop the bundle as they worked towards producing a new car for a segment that was shrinking daily before their eyes.

It's time to reveal the second half of the carsguide Car of the Year field - and this time it's all closer to home.The second group of five finalists includes a pair of Aussie icons and three of the perennial favourites out of Japan.These COTY contenders have been through the same gruelling three-day test program as the opening five contenders - the Audi A4, BMW 135i Sport, Fiat 500, Jaguar XF diesel and VW Tiguan.With the full final field of 10 revealed, the votes are in and a winner will be announced next Friday.For the stories, video and photos visit Carsguide Car of the Year 2009. 

You will still be smiling at the end of the journey.

First it was 600 new staff. Now it's a new vision for the future.Things are changing, and changing fast, for Jaguar Land Rover under its new ownership by Tata of India.It is recruiting 600 engineering specialists across the two brands and has opened a Virtual Reality Centre in Britain to help design the cars of the future.Such a huge financial commitment points to a solid future, perhaps even including the go-ahead for a born-again E-Type Jaguar to sell alongside the forthcoming baby Land Rover LRX city car.JLR is now divorced from Ford, which sold it to Tata when the late Geoff Polites was running the operation and leading it back into significant profit for the first time in 10 years.“There is a fair bit of liberation there. Our senior people are walking around with their chests thrust out,” says the head of JLR Australia, David Blackall, who has just returned from head office in Britain.“It's a big recruitment drive. Most of the emphasis is on new technology and sustainable energy. We've basically been given the brief that . . . we're trying to build for the future. It's about as upbeat and positive as I've seen it for a long time.“It's all about sustainable technologies. When you make fairly large, off-road-capable vehicles, you need a way forward in a reduced-carbon world.”Blackall reports strong sales in Australia since the arrival of the latest Jaguar XF, the make-or-break model for the brand.“XF on the Jaguar side has begun brilliantly. We sold our program in June for the best month for Jaguar in about four years,” he says.“We have a little more supply and will sell 400 to 450 Jaguars to the end of the year.”In Britain, the Virtual Reality Centre is the key to the cars, which will follow the XF, the forthcoming XJ flagship and the LRX.The centre cost more than $5 million and is intended to cut new-model development times. JLR claims it is the most advanced of its type in the world and allows designers and engineers to interact with life-size, three-dimensional models.The system reduces the need for physical prototypes, saving time and money. It uses eight Sony high-resolution projectors to produce 3D images for staff, who wear special glasses that give them a picture four times as clear as a high-definition television. 

After talking with leading British executives of the car company, it's still a 50-50 proposition.It is confirmed that Jaguar design chief Ian Callum has produced a highly secret design for a small Jag.However, Jaguar director of programs Mick Mohan believes there is no room in Jaguar for another model.“Jaguar is a three-model brand; that's about all it can stand,” he said.With the launch of the XF, Jaguar now has four models but Mohan believes the X-Type will be phased out about 2010. “There will be no small car. It's a very competitive segment,” he said.“We can't compete in every part of the luxury sector. We need to pick our spots of where we are to compete.”However, that is not necessarily the opinion of Jaguar chief financial officer David Smith, who flew into Melbourne this week for the funeral of UK Jaguar Land Rover chief Geoff Polites.He believes the sale of Jaguar Land Rover to Indian company Tata could open a lot of options and believes a BMW 1 Series-sized Jag has some merit.“The Jaguar design team has a lot of ideas,” he said. “I think that is one of a number of interesting options.”He also thinks there is room for an F-Type — a modern interpretation of the iconic E Type sports car.“But no decision has been made yet,” he said.Here there is some agreement with Mohan declaring that Jaguar needs to “get some sporty character back into our products."He suggested Jaguar could go the way of outgoing owner Ford by moving into smaller capacity turbo engines.“We will work very closely still with Ford, so we will keep a close eye on what they will do.”However, don't bet on the X-Type being phased out, either.Smith says there has been no decision made yet. 

The $2.5 billion sale of the two British icons to the Indian manufacturer was to be finalised at the start of the new financial year, but Jaguar Land Rover Australia managing director David Blackhall said it would now be June 1.“I was in the UK two weeks ago and everything is on track for the sale,” he said this week at the Melbourne launch of the new XF Jaguar.Blackhall said Tata would set broad parameters for business performance.He pointed out that although Jaguar sales in Australia last year dropped 18.9 per cent from 1011 in 2006 to 820, profit was up 15 per cent. Land Rover increased 9.3 per cent from 3392 to 3708.“I'd be bitterly disappointed if we worked our way to the top of (Tata's) 'to do' list. We have been going pretty well. We don't see the change of ownership as a big immediate issue for us,” Blackhall said.“Tata has a reputation for being non-interventionist.”His comments were backed by Jaguar Land Rover UK chief financial officer David Smith; who was in Melbourne for the funeral of Australian Geoff Polites, the company's British chief executive.“Tata has been quite explicit that they want us to run the business,” he said.However, he did not rule out some Indian ingredients in future Jaguars or Land Rovers.“One-fifth of our parts are made in other countries and we have sourced from India before and have had components from Tata."“We have agreements for components for the next three years.”He said customers were unlikely to be affected.“I don't think they are as concerned who owns the company as about the product itself.”Jaguar and Land Rover are part of the Premier Auto Group (PAG) in Sydney with Volvo, which remains owned by Ford.Could the new ownership effect Jaguars' status?