Jaguar XF does the double, wins What Car? award again
Somebody get the record player out and put on Al Stewart, because this is turning into The Year of the Cat. The English marque just showed off the new XFR and XKR, a slightly modified XFR broke the company's speed record formerly held by the Jaguar XJ220, and chatter suggests that the automaker is working on a new supercar. On top of all that, the Jaguar XF 2.7 V6 Diesel Luxury has won the What Car? magazine award for Best Executive Sedan for the second year in a row.
The XF didn't just beat cars from its own class, it beat the best buys among executive sedans in higher and lower price brackets. The other challengers were the best sedan buy under £30,000 (around $42k USD), the BMW 520d SE, and the best buy over £35,000 (around $49k USD), the Mercedes Benz CLS 320 CDI. The Jag walked it for being "beautiful to look at, brilliant to drive, an event to be in, and worth every penny of its running costs." Which means that if the 2.7-liter could take the award two years in a row, with the new 3.0-liter coming on line this year the XF might be a good bet for the trifecta come 2010.
[Source: What Car?]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BigMcLargeHuge 8:47AM (1/29/2009)
Would I like to have:
275hp and 443tq? Faster to 60 than the 4.2 V8? More refined than the 335d which I love so much?
Yes, yes, and yes. I'd love to have the XF diesel S over here.
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Domestic 6.0 11:33AM (1/29/2009)
Sweet its an amazing car !!!
Avinash machado 8:50AM (1/29/2009)
A British car wins a award from a British magazine.
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The Doctor 9:02AM (1/29/2009)
Oh please... I guess every award an American car gets from an American publication must also be discounted?
Dazza 9:06AM (1/29/2009)
And why shouldn't it? Jaguar's engineers put an awful lof of work into producing a world-class executive saloon with the XF, and the car has been hailed by the motoring press around the globe. Typical airheaded American criticism and complete lack of ability to give anything credit which doesn't involve them.
notYou 9:17AM (1/29/2009)
The Doctor: "Oh please... I guess every award an American car gets from an American publication must also be discounted?"
The difference is that Brits are self-centered in their assessment of all things British. Anything is considered superior by Brits if, well, Brits made it. That's a partial explanation as to why some Brits still refer to us as [ahem] "the colonies."
Americans' don't have the same perspective. Indeed, most Americans tend to view most anything non-American manufactured as superior (unless it came from a third world country or China). That's why it's still a surprise (and a joke, outside of NA) when an American rag proclaims anything American is tops (09 Cadillac CTS-V, for example). The rest of the world, and - sadly - most Americans, just don't believe that's possible.* And, for those Americans who do believe it - they're impugned as knuckle-draggers, uninformed (because there _must_ be something better!) or worse.
(* it appears a majority of Americans have replaced their belief in self-excellence with self-loathing. Hence why we elected an Administration and Congress whose first, if only, reaction to everything is capitulation. But I digress...)
axium 9:16AM (1/29/2009)
By the same logic the ZR-1 didnt win any awards.
adrian 11:54AM (1/29/2009)
@Avinash Machado
Maybe you should test drive the car first before making a comment like that.
If you've read What Car over the years you will see that they have rated many of the German marques above the British cars.
PJ 1:12PM (1/29/2009)
As far as I can tell, every country's automotive press awards some "extra credit" to its own country's products.
Which, to a reasonable degree, is fair. A product's value is ultimately determined by the market it serves, and if hailing from one's own region adds value to the product (and, to most people, it does), its evaluation in that market is going to benefit.
notYou, just because you *especially* disagree with a minority opinion doesn't make it large-scale epidemic. And without getting political, a bit of humility and self-deprecating humor is awfully different from "self-loathing," despite what some reactionary pundits might say. Just ask the Brits (since they're right here on this board).
Toledo Guy 6:10PM (1/29/2009)
Yeah, shocking isn't it?
Every time Jaguar runs out a new model, the UK mags trumpet how it's the best thing since scones and clotted cream. What Car? and Car have not problem wrapping themselves in the Union Jack for the first model year.
Sorry, but American mags are not the same. Car and Driver especially takes a lot of heat for being in the bag for Honda and BMW in particular.
Alex 9:16AM (1/29/2009)
I had the opportunity to ride in one the other day. Amazing car. The ride was comfortable without being soft, the engine (V8) has a great note, the interior is absolutley beautiful and top grade. I still hate those headlights but they definitely look better in person.
IMHO they deserve that award. Like Dazza said, the engineers and designers poured everything they had into that car and it shows.
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Dazza 9:54AM (1/29/2009)
"The difference is that Brits are self-centered in their assessment of all things British. Anything is considered superior by Brits if, well, Brits made it. That's a partial explanation as to why some Brits still refer to us as [ahem] "the colonies." " - NotYou
Some Brits. Just like SOME Americans refer to Eastern Europeans as "commies." And there isn't a country in the world more self-centred than America.
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ckm 12:40PM (1/29/2009)
"And there isn't a country in the world more self-centred than America."
You mean other than the French?
Pretty much all countries in the world are self centered, that's part of the definition of nationalism...
Americans are no worse than others, and probably a lot less than you think. They have spent a lot of money, political capital and lives defending other countries in the last 100 years.
British_Rover 11:15AM (1/29/2009)
reply to notYou
I have driven both the regular XF and the XF SC. They are amazing amazing cars. I am sure the diesel is even better from all the information I have been able to find out about it. The XF deserves this award for sure. I think you have been watching too much top gear if you think all Brits are self centered. I am American and not British just a bit of an anglophile. The citizens of every country are some what self centered but to say the Brits are the worse is a gross misrepresentation of the facts. I think the French and Americans are probably vying for number one and two of the most self centered list.
Your post wasn't that bad but then you had to go and take a jab at our new president.
"it appears a majority of Americans have replaced their belief in self-excellence with self-loathing. Hence why we elected an Administration and Congress whose first, if only, reaction to everything is capitulation. But I digress...)"
Seriously why bother to inject politics into this? There was no need to do that and it just made you look spiteful.
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Tin 11:30AM (1/29/2009)
why you guys arguing anyways? it's a brit car but looks like a buick so it's kinda like a America car. so both side wins YAY! lol
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Amit Das 2:33PM (1/29/2009)
>>A British car wins a award from a British magazine.
Correction - an Indian-owned British car company. I think most of the positive changes seen in Jag / Rover have occurred under Mr. Ratan Tata's watch. But overall, if Jag/Rover need to be competitive in the future Tata is going to have to remove some of the British-ness out of the brand. No one wants to be seen driving a old-mans car. 2008 was a big push year at Jag and with only 65k units sold... its all down hill from here. Maybe its time to add a little curry to that English breakfast.
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Dazza 7:56PM (1/29/2009)
Original quote: "A British car wins a award from a British magazine."
Your response: "Correction - an Indian-owned British car company."
What are you correcting? It's a British car. A British product. Just because the manufacturer is a British subsidiary company of an Indian holding company is completely irrelevant.
Amit Das 8:20PM (1/29/2009)
>> What are you correcting? It's a British car. A British product.
namaste
The Indian holding company is doing more than just paying the bills, they are slowly inserting their own branding into the mix. The problem is that nobody cares about a product being "British" (especially here in the US) and for Jags to continue to be only British will spell their demise. I hope Tata changes the brand to be more international with a hint of "British-ness". I don't know what a fusion of Indo-UK design/engineering/service will look like but somethings got to change at Jag.... cheers
zombyboy 4:04PM (1/29/2009)
I wasn't sure how much I liked this car at first, but its looks are growing on me. I'm liking it a little more every time I see it--and every review that I've read has been great.
Not sure if it deserved the award, but I know I'm not feeling like arguing the point.
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P.V. 6:37PM (1/29/2009)
I haven't had the opportunity to actually sit in one and test one, but from what I can tell, the engine and interior are superb, and the styling looks pretty sweet too (though, IMO, no Jaguar sedan yet can top the 2nd-generation final update XJ: that seriously looked cat-like). I do think it deserves winning twice.
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