Behind them, the rear seats may as well be used for luggage it's slightly larger than the four-door it replaced, but the Jaguar XF's dramatic styling cuts into backseat room with no apologies.
In front, driver and passenger sit low in leather pockets with good side support and power adjustments that multiply with each pricier model.
Its luxurious cabin has ample space for front passengers, but sensible-shoes drivers will want to look past the Jaguar XF for a vehicle with more rear-seat room. Light, direct steering and capable brakes add up to a joyful driving experience, and with 20-inch tires and electronic systems like Active Differential Control and Adaptive Dynamics shuffling power between the rear wheels and adjusting suspension and steering firmness, the 5,000-pound Jaguar XF out-nimbles some of the less weighty sedans in its class.
The drivetrains are deceptively smooth, the shifting invisibly quick, and even fuel economy is a cut above the class at 16/24 mpg, 16/25 mpg, and 15/23 mpg. The larger V-8 cars also top out at 155 mph. The rear-drive XF simply gets better with each step up the performance ladder you'll never miss a beat with the 300-hp version and its 6.3-second stomp to 60 mph-that is, until you sample the 385-hp, 5.5-second-to-60-mph V-8 or the shatteringly fast XFR, which drops the 60-mph dash in a Viper-like 4.7 seconds. A sole six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters works with all three. One brings with it 385 horsepower, the other a supercharger and an astonishing 510 hp. The 300-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8 carried over from the first-year sedan is joined in 2010 by two 5.0-liter V-8s. Stealthy, gripping performance is the new XF's calling card. Jaguar considers it the car's "heartbeat," and it's a clever wake-up call to the reinvigorated design all around. At the same time, vents roll open to life, and ambient lighting begins to glow. There's aluminum and wood trim, to be sure, as well as a groovy puck-shaped shifter knob that rises to attention when the ignition button's pressed. It seems to have been lifted from the front desk at a chic London hotel. If possible, the XF's cabin delights drivers even more than the exterior. XFR sedans get stronger chins, four tailpipes, and bigger wheels. From the back, it's as close to an Aston Martin as any sedan comes (apart from Aston's own Rapide). There still are mesh grilles and classic proportions, but you almost expect to see the Jaguar XF in an Infiniti showroom with its softly sculptured roofline, faceted hood, and smartly irregular headlamps.
The 2009 XF replaced the stuffy X-Type in the Jaguar lineup, and its svelte shape's an instant classic, with all the catlike cues and curves that should have been in Jaguar's styling notebook for the past decade.