Jaguar XF is on sale at Beijing auto show

Shanghai, March 26 (Gasgoo.com) The latest Jaguar XF sedan has arrived in many Chinese Jaguar showrooms. You must have deep pockets to afford the new Jaguar, which starts at RMB 688,000 ($97,000). Jaguar China has the XK, XJL, S-type and the latest XF on sale at the Beijing auto show next month. Jaguar China only sells gasoline versions, and there are no wagons in site in the Chinese dealerships.

Jaguar says the XF must be a success, regardless of the fact that the brand will soon be under the new ownership of Indian giant Tata. The plan is for the XF -- successor to the S-Type -- to replace the slow-selling X-Type as Jaguar's volume-selling model, as Jaguar plots a new sales strategy based more on low-volume Porsche than high-volume BMW.

The XF's opening gambit is promising, with styling that shakes off 40 years of variably sized clones of the original, 1968 XJ6. Jaguar's design team has deliberately eschewed a traditional three-box sedan for a coupe-like profile. Design cues from 1960s Jaguars such as the aforementioned XJ6 and MkII - such as the grille and side-window treatment - remain entrenched in the design.

Jaguar XF

The XF's visual emphasis is sporty, muscular and dynamic -- a character defined by a sweeping silhouette inspired by the XK, a powerful grille, dramatic side window graphics and, of course, strong Jaguar 'shoulders.' The look, however, does not come at the expense of efficient packaging. Inside, the XF's cabin delivers more proof that Jaguar has jumped out of its tweed-jacketed time warp. The interior design maximizes the feeling of space.

The Jaguar Sequential ShiftTM System gives the driver the option of one-touch manual gear-change control via steering-wheel mounted paddles. The most exciting feature of the XF's transmission control is the all-new JaguarDrive SelectorTM -- an industry-first rotary shift interface that combines precise, intuitive control with space-saving packaging, to allow maximization of interior storage options.

Safety features include six airbags, rear parking sensors (front sensors and rear-view camera are optional), and a raft of electronic driver aids. The bonnet will also pop up to soften a blow if a collision with a pedestrian is detected.

The pricing places the new Jaguar XF among its obvious rivals, the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class, Audi A6 and Lexus GS.