Jaguar XF Saloon (08 on) - Review

The XF's cabin is beautifully finished, however despite claiming to be a five seater, three adults would find the rear space a bit of a squeeze. Leg room is adequate but rear headroom suffers mainly because of the coupe-like profile, although both the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class aren't a great deal better. Jaguar has done a great job of keeping unwanted noise out of the cabin, while ensuring the best aspects of the engine noise can still be heard and enjoyed. This combined with the excellent ride makes the XF wonderfully comfortable on long journeys.

With a boot capacity of 500 litres (540 if a puncture repair kit is chosen instead of the space-saver spare wheel) the XF has more space for luggage than any previous Jaguar and is competitive with other cars in this class. There are a few other storage compartments in the cabin - the front door bins will carry a half-litre bottle of water very easily, plus the cup holders in the front can be used for storing other items. A parking aid pack with rear-view camera is optional.

The XF marks a radical departure in terms of styling for Jaguar and while there's still plenty of wood, it is used in a modern way with the main facing dashboard panels trimmed in aluminium. There are plenty of unique feelgood features in the XF from the start button light that pulsates like a heartbeat to the cylindrical gear selector which silently slides up out of the centre console. Other touches include blue lighting around the controls (inspired by Motorola mobile phones) and air vents that automatically revolve closed when you turn the engine off. Jaguar has also done away with the need for switches or buttons for the glove compartment and overhead reading lamps - touching a point in the wood veneer opens the glovebox and touching the lights will switch them on or off. The satellite navigation system (standard on all models) is a modern-looking touch-screen version and other functions, such as ventilation or heated seats are also accessed through it.