The Cats Whiskers – New Jaguar XF 3.0 Sport

Perhaps more than any other marque, Jaguar holds a special place in the collective hearts of our nation.

Down the years Jag has symbolised quality and wealth – anyone driving a Jag when I was growing up was doing pretty well for themselves.

After a long and often turbulent history, Jaguar is back on top, and the leaping big cat sits astride some truly fabulous cars. The new Jaguar XF 3.0 Sport is no exception.

The big saloon has picked up awards aplenty – voted best Executive Car by Auto Express, Fleet World, What Diesel Awards, What Car? and even Most Desirable Towing Vehicle ( If money were no option! ) from none other than Practial Caravaning!! Driving the Jaguar XF Sport its not difficult to see why.

Everything about it oozes quality, inside and out. Despite moving away from the lines of its predecessors – especially in the front end – the XF is beautifully rounded bit still looks powerful and muscular.

There are a number of petrol and diesel engines available, none smaller thant three-litre in this new XF. The three-litre V6 diesel I drove is topped by a huge five litre V8 petrol. Slip inside the spacious cabin and it instantly confirms that this is a luxury car. The door shuts with a reasuringly expensive and muted clump and you find yourself luxuriating in huge leather seats.

But not just any old leather. The seats and dashboard in my Portfolio trim Jag were stitched and looked more like an expensive sofa than a car dashboard.

Turn on the ignition – keyless, the fob just needs to be in the car when you push the start button – and the engine almost silently comes to life.

All Jaguar XF models come with a smooth-as-silk six-speed auto gearbox. But there’s no gearstick of any description.

When the ignition button is pushed a shiny, circular knob rises smoothly from the central console – the gearknob. You just rotate into drive, reverse, park etc. When the ignition is switched off the shiny, circular knob descends back into its home.

The Show’s not over, though. Switch on the air con and the vents in front of you silently slide open, ready to raise or lower the temperature to your exact requirements. Turn it off and the vents slide silently closed.

The rest of the interior is along the same lines. Along with the quality stitched level the dash is finished with high-end aluminium and wood veneer.

Swithches are spot on and everything is simple and clear.

The Sat nav / on board computer is so advanced it takes some working out but there is a superb CD player and digital radio. Just as a little extra, there was a TV in the Portfolio trim Jaguar XF I drove – it adds a whole new dimention to your driving experience when you can sit in the supermarket car park watching the Grand Prix on a Sunday afternoon.

But what I almost missed – because I drove the XF mostly in the light of days of late autum – was the light scheme of the inside. The dash lights up the gloom with the most striking “mood lighting” – a beautiful blue colour I’ve not seen in any other car it’s stunning.

Once I dragged myself away from the TV and the dashboard lighting, the XF didn’t dissappoint in its performance.

Its offical acceleration figures are 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, which is fast indeed for a heavy saloon.

But this speed is deceptive, because there is no accompanying engine roar when you jam the pedal down.

The V6 engine is so quiet that you dont realise how fast this car accelerates until you see the needle rocketing upwards.

You dont even feel particularly thrown backwards because the ultra-comfortable seats absorb the movement. And Jaguar has managed to combine that acceleration with great handling.

The ride is smooth and comfortable and the Jaguar XF handles like a car half its size.

High-speed cruising is like sitting in your armchair at home. There is almost no wind and road noise and the whole interior seems to be insulated from the world outside.

There’s only the faint growl of the 3-litre engine purring away. There’s only the faint growl of the 3-litre engine purring away.

The Jag is crammed with so many features, extras, entertainment and equipment that, unless you’re inspecotr Gadget, you’ll be happy with the base model, which is tellingly called Jaguar XF Luxury.

There is plenty of space inside, although the layout of the front seats means the dash and centre console are quite high. There are acres of legroom, though.

The sloping coupe roof of the Jag means that there is slighly less headspace in the rear but it shouldn’t cause any discomfort to those shorter than giant stature.

There is plenty of storage space, with a 500 litre boot, although the actual opening is quite small, and things need to be hoised inside.

For a car this good, combining the comfort of a family saloon with high performance – top speed is a limited 155mph – you’ll have to shell out.

The Jaguar XF starts at £33,000 but rises to more tha £50,000 for the top of the range. But you’ll get a very special car that compaires favourably with its Mercedes, Audi and BMW rivals – and it is a Jag after all.

To top it off Industry experts predict the Jaguar XF will be worth more than any of its competitors in the years to come.

But to be hones you’re unlikely to want to get rid of it.

JAGUAR XF 3.0 SPORT
Engine: 3-litre diesel
Transmission: Six-speed
0-62mph: 5.9secs
Top Speed: 155mph
Combined mpg: 42mpg
OTR Price: £44,200