[Snowman79]

I read this in todays HINDU and got quite excited.

The Hindu : Life & Style / Metroplus : Jaguar's big leap

"Will the facelifted XF with an all-new entry level 2.2-litre diesel help the luxury brand reach a new set of customers in India?

Jaguar's facelifted XF has to shoulder a lot of responsibility. Not only does it have to look fresh and attractive enough to excite car buyers, but this new version also has to widen the XF's appeal. With the new 2.2-litre diesel under the bonnet, the entry price of an XF will fall dramatically and the carmaker will soon launch a four-wheel-drive version to appeal to new customers too.



This new 2.2 will be an ideal variant for Indian customers. BMW's 520d and Merc's E250 CDI are the largest selling luxury cars in the market, and if Jaguar can get customers to trade a little practicality for plenty of sex appeal, then it's game on for Jaguar in India. Also added to this will be the fact that this XF 2.2 could be the first Jaguar to be assembled in India, making this a pretty significant car.
This facelift takes things even further and makes the nose of the car look sportier. The new, smaller bi-Xenon lights allow for a lower bonnet line, the nose is now considerably more dramatic, and the new XJ-like slit-eye headlamps have a stylised ‘J' traced out in LED. Neat. While much of the roofline and silhouette remain similar, the new XF gets wheel arches that bulge out slightly more and new elongated, three-dimensional tail-lamps. Added at the bottom is also a black splitter to break up the mass of the rear.



While the basic design of the interiors is the same, Jaguar has incorporated several new themes and elements to freshen up the cabin. So while the vents still flip open when you start the car and the gear knob still rises like Excalibur from the pond for that sense of occasion, Jaguar has lost some of the shiny stuff on the central console. A few buttons are finished in black, there now is a start/stop activation button on the central console and there is a host of new equipment including Bluetooth and iPod compatibility. Still, that sense of occasion that the E-class and 5-series seem to be able to muster is missing. The low coupé-like roof also means rear comfort is not as much a priority as in some of the Jag's competitors.

In contrast, the new 188bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel we drove is all practicality. Now located longitudinally instead of transversely and driving the rear wheels via superb eight-speed gearbox, this motor immediately impresses with how silently it cruises. And it's smooth when you pull the car hard as well, the XF showing a surprising turn of foot, despite the motor not having twin turbos. The torque comes in nice and early, gearshifts are all but imperceptible and the motor spins with some amount of enthusiasm to the redline as well. It's pretty obvious that plenty of work has been carried out to this motor, and the list of improvements is endless.


The injectors now get acoustic socks to dampen clatter, there is a double layer of thick insulation under the bonnet, the turbocharger is now water-cooled and the block and sump are modified to be more silent. And flat-out performance felt properly brisk too, as impressive as that of BMW's 520d at least. What also functioned very effectively was the start-stop system, which seemed to almost predict when you wanted to start off again. Jaguar, however, might delete the start-stop system for India and we might only get a six-speed gearbox to keep costs down.



The prototype we drove also boasted very impressive stability, good bump absorption and plenty of poise in corners, just like the earlier XF, and it felt pretty sporty from behind the wheel too. Also impressive is Jaguar's new electric steering system that, unlike some units, boasts a fair amount of feel.



Jaguar will in all likelihood launch this new XF in India later this year, and this 2.2 is likely to be the star attraction. This is one Jag you sure must wait for, especially with a sticker price of approximately Rs. 35 lakh."


IF it really becomes available at that price i say forget the 3 or the C. this is better looking is different and the jag diesels are really good engines too

[Cesc]

A Jag XF at 35 lakhs kinda sounds unbelievable. IMO it is by far the best looker of the current luxury lot available in India. However such articles are rarely completely accurate. Let's see when the official statement comes out and what it contains.

[DicKy]

35 lakhs!!!
Well ,if am right, this is the price they have taken from some western site and converted it into Rupees, without taking into factor our Indian pricing.
Or maybe Tata decided to go all aggressive and launch the Jag at it's original price in India.

[vb-saan]

Well 35 lakhs ex-showroom is not that cheap - even for a Jaq.

The reviews in the UK media on the 2.2 diesel is quite promising.

[Snowman79]

i believe it can be done. if the car is shipped in CKD to india and assembled here, also the 35 lakh jag will be something like the BMW 3 corporate. i.e. bare bones model.

anyway lets wait and see what happens

[Sahil]

Well done Tata ! I was sure this would happen once the facelift has been brought in.
Now please get the 3.0 diesel assembled here too ! They should however give air suspension like the upcoming A6.

Competition in this segment is getting verrrryy interesting !!

[Swanand Inamdar]

35L? Wow now is that tempting or what!
I believe, it could be possible. Isnt Jag a CKD? If so, then that price is good enough.
The reviews of the 2.2 are interesting to say the least.

[Maverick79]

They are being assembled as SKD units in India. Still the CKD route is yet to be followed like the Land Rover.
Really shocked seeing the tempting price of Rs.35 lakhs.

[.anshuman]

The price tag of 35 lakhs sounds too good to be true. It's competitors BMW 520d and E350 CDI are priced close to 40 lakh mark(ex showroom). Now if they are eyeing the volumes, they will have to price it close to the 40L mark to compete with the well established German competition.

[shortbread]

Even the base model of the Jags are better equipped than the Germans. Although the 35lacs is only a rumor still, also a big shortcoming is the lack of sales and service network.

[tommani]

Can anyone shed any info regarding the launch of the 2.2 in India. Is the assembly for the xf still in the pipeline for the near future??

[rowhun]

if the 3 litre diesel if priced at 54 lacs, I dont see how the 2.2 will be priced at 35. Its an impossible dream to hope for a price like that. besides, it will dilute the segment positioning by putting it in the same price bracket as a C-class and the 3-series. I guess it will be more like a 5 lac difference ala the 520d and the 530d.

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by rowhun

if the 3 litre diesel if priced at 54 lacs, I dont see how the 2.2 will be priced at 35. Its an impossible dream to hope for a price like that. besides, it will dilute the segment positioning by putting it in the same price bracket as a C-class and the 3-series. I guess it will be more like a 5 lac difference ala the 520d and the 530d.

The 35 lakh price tag is realistic as it's bang-on with the pricing of the 520d.

[shantanupsingh]

Personally, I would go for a jaguar under 40 lakh any day over a Merc because of the look. But why a 4 wheel drive version ? (mentioned in the article link)

[Zkalra]

Is this true? 35 lakhs seems quite improbable!!

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