2009 Jaguar XF Premium Review

The 2009 XF is based on a concept car called the C-XF ("C" for concept).  Rolled out in 2009, the XF Premium is a midsize four-door that will replace the Jaguar S-Type.  The Jaguar XF's main competitors include the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac STS, Lexus GS sedan and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The EPA gas mileage estimates are 18/26 mpg city/highway.  The all-new 2009 Jaguar XF Premium, along with its trim siblings, the Luxury and the Super, is great looking, smooth and comfortable, with the features buyers expect in this class, and then some. Perhaps best of all, it accelerates quicker and handles as well or better than some of the best cars in its class.  The XF Premium?s interior is gorgeous and charming, and less confusing or annoying than some of its competitors. The 2009 XF uses a powerful V8 engine, and gets excellent mileage for cars with this performance. The XF Premium has especially good aerodynamics, and this helps in keeping it stable while cruising the highway.  It also gives it better mileage and allows the cabin to be quieter. Another high point of the XF Premium is its high standards for safety.  And we are not just talking about a bunch of air bags. The XF?s entire underlying structural design is driven by safety considerations, and particularly by the goal of protecting against side impacts and the tendency of tall, sport-utility type vehicles to slide upward in collisions with sedans. This means surrounding the cabin in high-tech metals, including high-carbon steels, dual-phase steel, hot-formed boron and bake-hardened steels, to create a vertical safety ring around those inside the XF.   The 2009 XF 4.2 Premium Luxury has the same normally aspirated V8 as the standard model, with even more luxury features. Its standard equipment list adds a GPS navigation system, soft-grain leather on the seats, dash and door panels, three-stage heated front seats and 19-inch wheels, among other things.  It has a starting MSRP of $55,200.

Premium Power

The standard drivetrain for the XF Premium is a 4.2-liter V-8 with the XK's six-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel. This allows it to go zero to 60 mph in roughly 6.2 seconds.  Dynamic and Winter modes optimize the accelerator progression. The engine for the XF is very similar to what was used in the outgoing S-Type.  Reinforced engine blocks are used to reduce vibration.

Driving the XF Premium

The new Jaguar XF measures up to the best cars in its class in its over-the-road performance .  Anything and everything that a consumer would hope for in the XF driving experience is there.  Yes, the XF is fast, and responsive, but the cabin is very quiet and comfortable. The six-speed automatic transmission of the XF might be the best in any luxury car anywhere, and contributes considerably to the enjoyable driving experience. The Premium trim level has conventional four-wheel-independent suspensions

Jaguar XF Premium Design

The overall shape of the XF is a bit unique from traditional Jaguar design, but after taking another look, there are signs this is a Jaguar everywhere.   Within each new-age headlight cluster sit two round, sealed beams that maintain the brand's quad-lamp signature complete with the traditional fluting above the lights. The chrome trim above the side windows comes straight off the historic Mark II sedan, while the prominent hood bulge recalls the E-type.  Still, the bright metal strip on the trunk lid looks ordinary, and the leaping Jaguar in back is just a bit too much.  The windshield has a raked angle, and there are front fender vents which are well integrated into the overall design.  From its basic shape to its aerodynamic characteristics to its underlying structure, the 2009 Jaguar XF sedan is a thoroughly modern automobile. But somehow at the same time it gives a feeling of classic Jaguar taste.   

Cabin Features for 2009

The interior, like the exterior, is modern yet classic.  With its focus of ease of use, Jaguar does not use its center knob as a multifunction controller like the German and some Japanese makers do. Like the XK, the XF's in-dash LCD is a touch-screen. The trunk on the 2009 XF is Premium offers a decent amount of space, and can be even further extended by folding the backseat forward. Options for XF Premium Luxury include the Advanced Vision Package ($1,800), which adds a rearview camera, front park assist, a radar-operated Blind Spot Monitor and self-leveling Bi-Xenon headlights.  Larger wheels, an electric rear-glass sunblind ($450), Sirius Satellite Radio hardware ($375) are among the standalone options. A premium audio package ($1,500) features a 440-watt Bowers & Wilkins unit with surround processing, 13 speakers, an in-dash six-CD changer and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Summary

The 2009 Jaguar XF Premium is just a step above the XF Luxury trim, in both price and amenities and standard features.  Anyone in search of a sleek and stylish luxury sedan will find their match with the Jagur XF.  Furthermore, the XF was designed with safety in mind. Visit the official Jaguar XF site for further details and pictures.  Not only were regular safety features included, Jaguar structurally engineered this vehicle with some of the latest hi tech materials that are super strong and reliable . Safety features that come standard include dual-stage front airbags, front-seat side-impact airbags, head-protecting curtain airbags for all outboard seats, and a tire pressure monitor.  Active safety features include Dynamic Stability Control, with an understeer (or push skid) managing feature, and the latest-generation antilock brakes (ABS). The ABS features brake assist for full force in panic stops and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), which includes a component called Cornering Brake Control that proportions brake force from side to side to keep the car balanced while braking through a curve. While the XF's body is larger than others, Jaguar claims that it is the most torsionally rigid car in the class, meaning that it flexes less from end to end under pressure. This overall stiffness and rigidity is one of the factors that separate luxury sedans from less expensive, higher-volume models. It's the foundation for minimizing noise and vibration inside an automobile, and the well from which dynamic capabilities such as handling, ride quality and overall responsiveness flow. To read more about how this Jaguar drives, read a Jaguar XF Premium road test.