Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Arden Jaguar XF AJ 21.

Last month, we got a sneak peak at Arden's interpretation of the Jaguar XF, with its aggressive front fascia, LED running lights and rear brake cooling ducts integrated into the side skirts. Now, we've got the official details on the AJ 21 and as is almost always the case, the mods are hardly skin-deep.

The top of the line, supercharged V8 engine has been stroked out from 4.2- to 4.5-liters, with output cresting the 500 hp mark. To make better use of those additional ponies, Arden developed a sports suspension to keeps things planted at speed, while 21-inch "Sportline" wheels are up to the task of combining a bit of style with a dose of functionality. Arden is developing packages for the entire range of XFs, but if we had to choose one, this is it.


[Source: Arden via WCF]

Click above for a gallery of the Loder1899 Jaguar XF.

Unlikely the atrocity that Galpin performed on the new Jaguar XF, the German tuners at Loder1899 recognized the cat's strong points and built a set of tasteful mods around it. The package from Loder comes equipped with a new front bumper, rear diffuser and trunk lid wing, a suspension setup that lowers the XF by 35mm and a choice of either 20- or 21-inch rollers. Across the pond, buyers can opt for the 2.7-liter V6 diesel, so Loder has employed a few tweaks on the oilburner to increase output to 249 hp (from 207) and torque to 385 lb.-ft. All that kit will cost you a cool 8,000 euro in Germany, not including assembly and painting. Hit the jump for the full press release.


[Source: Loder1899 via WCF]

Click above for high-res gallery from our First Drive of the Jaguar XF

The timing of our first hands-on experience with the Jaguar XF is, to say the least, awkward. Less than a week after Ford agreed to sell both Jaguar and Land Rover to India's Tata Motors, we find ourselves in sunny San Diego behind the wheel of Jag's supposed savior. While the business end of the equation will be exhaustively covered in the coming months, the renaissance underway at Tata's newly acquired pet is of equal importance. The XF is a serious step on the road to recovery, but undoing the perception gap that's plagued this cat for the last couple of decades won't be easy.


All photos © 2008 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Galpinized Jaguar XF.

It's been argued that the Jaguar XF lost a lot of the edge that it's conceptual predecessor displayed on the show stand. The end result was less than thrilling, but the available powerplants and sumptuous interior may have made up for the exterior's shortcomings. Galpin Jaguar, the largest volume Jag dealership in the States, has decided to pull an Emeril on the XF and kick it up a notch through a custom, two-tone paint scheme, 22-inch, color-matched Forgiato wheels, smoked tail lamps and "blacked-out" window trim. Thankfully, Galpin has left most of the interior intact, save the wood trim and matching black and burgundy leather seats. Overall, the effect ranges from cruel to unusual, and as such, we're considering a call to the Hague.

Check Galpin's full press release after the jump.

In nature, only the lion and tiger are bigger cats than the jaguar, and the spotted feline is quite the predator, as prey learns when the cat's fangs penetrate their skulls. The wild jaguar is also diminishing in number. When you think about it, you can draw a parallel between the beast and the brand named after it.

After all, there are bigger luxury marques with more notoriety, such as Mercedes and BMW, and it's no secret that Jaguar (especially in the United States) has been fading from the sales charts, as a peek at our By The Numbers posts will demonstrate. Like the feline predator, however, Jaguar is still no slouch at what it does.

Which brings us to the XF. The XF is The Next Big Step for Jaguar, blending modernity with big sedan proportions and dollops of luxury. Curiously, the blown mill that powers the other "R" cars is available on a standard-grade XF, so the XFR has to be better, and Auto Express has spotted it out testing. Bigger intakes in front, bigger wheels and brakes at the corners, and big power underhood are all on tap. An stout 500 horsepower is expected from the car's supercharged 5.0L V8. Out back, a spoiler and quad tips are the other telltale signs that the XFR is the most serious predator of its immediate family. Assuming it's as good as the XJR and XKR, this is one cat we're eager to tame.

[Source: Auto Express]

click above for high-res gallery of the Jaguar XF

The Jaguar XF goes on sale worldwide in the UK, Europe and North America on March 10. A simultaneous debut in multiple markets is reportedly a first for Jaguar, as is this initial heavy demand for a brand new model. Automotive News reports that Jaguar has 10,000 customer deposits in hand for the new Jaguar XF, with 3,000 orders in the U.S. alone. Jaguar, a near constant fixture as Autoblog's Biggest Loser every month in our By The Numbers report of monthly sales figures, sold just 664 cars in the U.S. last month. We bet that come the end of March, it will no longer hold that dubious honor.

We knew demand would be big, as Jaguar dealers reported having to create informal waiting lists for the sports sedan, which will be sold with no mark ups on a first come, first serve basis. The successor to the stylish but slow-selling S-Type, the XF will start at $49,975 and come with a 300-hp V8 as standard. So far it's been a darling of the media, who, like us, claim that it has to be seen in person to appreciate the design. No one knows how many XF sedans Jaguar plans to sell annually, but we've heard estimates of 20,000 and Land Rover has additional production capacity if it's needed.

Seeing an automaker completely reverse its fortunes overnight is a rare sight, but we may witness that happen when the dust settles after March 10th. Thousands of XF sales will in turn mean more sales of the XK to new buyers who just dropped by a dealership to check out that "hot new sedan" everyone's talking about. Jaguar would be well advised to put a rush order on delivering the new XJ to market to complete its lineup's reinvention.


[Source: Automotive News]

Ford may finally be ridding itself of the cash bleeding Jaguar brand, but the automaker is doing so just as the XF is about to hit dealers' showrooms. If indications from the UK mean anything, the XF may be the hit for which the leaping cat has long searched. The Brits have placed 3,000 orders for the good-looking sedan, and it seems the S-Type replacement has some momentum on its home turf. Ford chief technical officer Richard Parry-Jones sees a more confident Jaguar, mainly because of early indications that the XF will meet or exceed sales projections, netting a profit for the ailing nameplate.

While it's great news that the XF is racking up orders in the UK, the positive results are still in Jaguar's back yard. If the XF is going to succeed, it will need to sell in the US and elsewhere in Europe. With it's modern sheet metal and elegant interior, the XF has a better chance to succeed than any of the leaping cat's in recent memory. If Jaguar's new sedan approaches the greatness of it's two door sibling XK, then the sky will be the limit.

[Source: Just-Auto - Sub. Req.]

click above image to view a few more shots of the first Jaguar XF

Is today the dawn of a new era for Jaguar or just another 24 hours of circling the drain? The very first Jaguar XF sedan rolled off of the production line today at the company's Castle Bromwich plant in jolly old England, so what happens next is anyone's guess. The car is a Vapour Grey 4.2L V8 SV8 model (that's the supercharged one) and surprisingly will not be sold to the public. Despite Jaguar desperately needing the profit from every car sold, the first one is being donated to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust collection. The rest will go on sale next March in 66 markets, including the U.S. where interest in the new cat is high, at least for a Jaguar. That's a bit unfair, as the XK and XKR are gems that garner quite a bit of praise, from us included. Nevertheless, until Jaguar starts delivering the XF, we can't say whether it follows in the footsteps of the forgettable S-Type it's replacing or aspires to be the four-door version of Jaguar's wonderful coupe.

[Source: Jaguar]

click above image for high-res gallery of 2009 Jaguar XF

As we've previously reported, initial demand for the Jaguar XF is high. The crew from Coventry needs its new luxury sedan to be a hit and would presumably like to sell as many possible when it hits showrooms next March, but the current capacity at its remaining plant in the British Midlands is limited by a number of factors, one of which is the size of its labor force. Luckily, Land Rover operates a plant in the vicinity. Both work forces are represented by the labor union Unite, which agreed to a "mobility of labor" provision in its contracts with both automakers. The provision allows for workers to move between each plant for up to 12 weeks at a time.

Jaguar hasn't yet decided whether or not it will borrow workers from Land Rover for the XF launch. It will likely make the decision only if it's deemed necessary to meet demand, though a representative for Land Rover claims that it's based on a number of factors and demand might not even affect the decision. In our estimation, Jaguar's going to sell the XF like cupcakes and should build as many as it can.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

click above image for full high-res gallery of the Jaguar XF

Veteran auto journalist Jim Mateja has been poking around Jaguar dealerships to find out how much buzz ixists for the new Jaguar XF. The XF is widely considered a do-or-die car for Jaguar, which sold just 1,061 vehicles last month. Billed as the replacement for the S-Type sedan, it needs to sell well. Doing so would show that Jaguar has at least one life left out of nine to give.

The Jaguar XF goes on sale March 1, 2008, but Mateja reports at KickingTires.net that dealers have already formed waiting lists that are likely longer than the number of units they'll receive when the car launches. Jaguar has also informed its dealers that there will be no mark ups: cars will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. While the brand hasn't revealed how many units it plans to have available at launch, Mateja estimates about 20,000 units sold annually will be their target. That number is based on how many S-Types were sold in that car's first year and is a good benchmark for the success of the XF. If Jaguar did manage to sell 20,000 XFs in 2008, the automaker's numbers overall would certainly go up versus 2007.

So we know there's demand for the XF when it launches next year, but the real question is whether that demand will be sustained after the initial buzz wears off. We think it will, if for no other reason than the XF is a unique vehicle. Its styling is spot on, though needs to be appreciated in person for the full effect, while the interior may set a new standard in simple elegance for the segment. This time next year we'll know if those things add up to a successful launch.

[Source: Kicking Tires]