Jaguar have recently been in the news for all the right reasons. It is for their entire product revamp and it is for a good note. Though the Indian car buying public can still hardly distinguish a Jaguar XF from a Jaguar XK, the manufacturer is very keen on bringing all its new products into the Indian market very soon. We recently gave you updates regarding the Jaguar XKR-S (Jaguar XKR-S in India preview) and also the Jaguar XFR (Jaguar XFR in India Preview), both of which, very soon would make their presence felt in the Indian car scene. Well, here is a new one and one which most of the automobile aficionados would relate to. It is the Jaguar XF 2.2D in India Preview. This car can almost be called as ready for launch. All the testing phase and stuff for this one has been already done and infact, Jaguar has been offering first drives to many of the leading international automotive portals. Here are a few glimpses of what Jaguar has got in store for the Indian car buying public.
The first task up the curvy sleeve of the Jaguar XF 2.2D in India would be to look good. This is not a hard task given that its current running avatar is a good enough thing to incite those sinewy looks from women and men alike. There is already the Jaguar XF 3.0D doing duties in India, however, this one has limited appeal as of now and the various reasons cited for it include the likes of improper marketing strategy and also brand building exercise. The most important thing is that this would be the first Jaguar to have been given an Indianized touch coz it is going to be assembled right here. The earlier car was no bad thing as far as design is concerned and the newer one just takes it to greater heights. The grille gets an even more rectangular stance now and the head lamps seem to have a closed eye effect to them. Seems that Jag has given its designers a fat pay raise and it shows in the scheme of things. The new Jag is needless to say, the best piece of a Jaguar ever made in the modern world of automobiles. If looks of a car can offend someone or even attract someone, then the Jaguar belongs to the latter breed. The head lamps along would be enough to steal all the limelight. No daytime running LED gimmick here and the fog lamps look much like the ones in the Fluidic Verna, albeit a slimmer version. 19 inch wheels with low profile tyres ensure that the car looks good from even the side profile. However, the sloping coupe like roof line is a definite no-no in the aesthetic sense coz it hampers the rear head room. The rear also boasts of having one of the largest tail lamps with the length extended all over till the side profile of the car. Twin tail pipes also do justice to the entire design language. To give a semblance to the entire design at the rear, the Jag also gets a splitter done in black.
While the interiors continue carrying a good design, it does skimp out on some features to make for a better asking price. So Indians who love chrome would be well off with the bigger engined variant. Well, its only the chrome bits which have vanished and in their place black becomes the predominant thing. Now, this would definitely be something which not many owners would be complaining about. Not only do the gear lever come out of its own sweet hole but also the aircon controls open up, once the car is unlocked. All those gadgetry stuff is there for sure and Jag would never want to compromise on that. Buttons galore has been reduced with this new thing and instead pretty much obvious and useful buttons are placed. This include the likes of activation button for start stop and also many other nitties which were lost out from the earlier model. The chauffer would definitely enjoy the place of prominence here due to the front seats being slightly more in the head room stakes than the rear ones. Bucket type seats are said to be optional accessories that Jaguar would offer with this car. However, the choice of them making down to India, is well, doubtful. There is enough of leg room on offer though for the rear seat passengers. This is a 4 seater, just like the BMWs and Mercedes cars that it competes with. Boot space is more or less similar than the competition and though we don’t have any firm details about it, it is more on the lesser side of things.
What Jaguar have done is improve the stability of this thing and made it more impressive. Just like Audi, different suspension tunings have been done and lighter materials used. This has caused an overall weight differential but still this car is one hell of a point and scoot machine. Though, it is said that it would eclipse the BMW 520d’s handling, it would definitely pull all stops as far as coming close to the legendary BMW handling. The steering wheel is an electric unit though and most definitely would be a pleasure to use knowing the feel from the earlier hydraulic unit. Inspite of a smaller engine, Jaguar have managed to tune the NVH levels to that which owners buying into this class expect. Positioning of the engine has also made a vast difference. While earlier it was transverse, now it got the longitudinal position in place. Just like its predecessor, this car also has a good ride quality and one which is more on the compliant side of things. Certainly a good thing for the Indian driving conditions or rather the road conditions.
Apart from the design language, the engine and its construction as also materials used have made a vast sea of changes in the Jag 2.2D. A new 2.2 liter turbodiesel unit is the one which works as the workhorse for this new car. 188 horses is what it manages and it is a 4 cylinder unit unlike the 3.0 liter engine. Water cooled technology has been imbedded in the turbocharger and it is a very effective thing or so. Atleast that’s what we have come to understand from all of Jaguar’s international press harpings. Moreover, Jaguar have plumped in a start stop system which is the best in the business without being very intrusive in its operation. To compensate for the diesel clatter, Jaguar have put in acoustic socks for the injectors plus under the bonnet a heavy layer of insulation has been provided for. Though there are no twin turbos on offer, atleast on this model, it has all the go to match the show with the 460 Nm of torque coming in as low as 2000 rpm. Also, in a straight line, it is said that there is not much of difference or perceptible loss of power over its bigger engined sibling. An eight speed autobox via ZF only adds up as an icing for the sake. However, we being Indians would be subject to the 6 speed auto currently available. Now, that’s some food for thought. Indians like the maximum for the least amount of money and in this case, the Jaguar may have the 8 speed autobox chopped off in the name of better entry level pricing. We agree to it. The engine of this car is also very enthusiastic inspite of the downsized capacity levels and moreover, the redline can be visited time and again on this one.
So, in all an impressive stance, looks to die for plus a diesel engine under the hood make it a worthy rival to the much established Germans in the name of Audi, Mercedes and also BMW. The time of the launch of this car in India though is uncertain and looking at the scheme of things, the Jaguar XF 2.2D price in India would hover around the Rs 35 lakhs mark. Watch out this space for more.
