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Indeed, the car responds so eagerly that every brush of the accelerator pedal masks its 1,891 kg kerb weight. Put your foot down and the Cat just digs in its claws and literally pounces forward. The horizon is drawn in with increasing intensity even as the cabin remains utterly civilised.
The car is fitted with a responsive six-speed ZF automatic transmission with steering-mounted paddle shifters. On paddle- initiated downshifts, the throttle is "blipped" automatically to better match engine and road speeds.
The transmission selector has a Sports mode that further heightens engine response and postpones shift points. This mode is probably best left for either track applications or making haste north of the causeway.
Add to that a Dynamic button on the centre console that can be activated in both Drive and Sports mode. With the Dynamic mode activated while stationary, the whole vehicle rocks angrily from side to side with each prod of the accelerator as though preparing for battle.
But the semi-active exhaust on the XFR (brought forth by activating Dynamic) could have had more growl to give the driver greater aural pleasure. The steering weight was near perfect though, but a tighter and more communicative helm would not have gone amiss.
The car rides admirably well for what is essentially a substantial, high-performance grand touring saloon shod with seriously low profile 20-inch tyres. The XFR's Adaptive Dynamics suspension (the latest iteration of the previous CATS system found on earlier Jaguars) renders a well-damped chassis over bumpy roads and a ride that is firm yet supple enough to absorb road irregularities.
| Jaguar XFR |
Engine: 5,000cc V8 supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 510 hp @ 6,000-6,500 rpm
Torque: 625 Nm @ 2,500-5,500 rpm
0-100kmh: 4.9 seconds
Top speed: 250kmh (limited)
Price: S$380,000 (without COE)
Distributor: Malayan Motors
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The XFR's cabin is well-appointed with a seven-inch touch screen command centre and the high-end in-car entertainment (ICE) allows head unit control of an iPod.
Powered sports bucket seats achieve the right balance between driver support and comfort, while the slightly reduced ease of ingress and egress is more than justified once its benefits are experienced in fast corners.
Legroom for rear seat passengers is wholly adequate, but being a "coupe" design, the headroom can be a little cosy for taller occupants.
Nevertheless, the Jaguar XFR is still a capable and refined execution of the high-powered luxury sedan genre, while also possessing a soothing cabin in which to de-stress after a day at the office. What a compelling package.
btnews@sph.com.sg
This article was first published in The Business Times.
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