Jaguar is readying a new facelift for the XF exec. It’s hard to believe, but the XF four-door will be four years old next year – so Jag is about to give it a cosmetic flourish to keep it fresh against the newer German competition (the new A6 lands in 2011, too, don’t forget).
Insiders say the new facelift will be ‘extensive’ and our new spy shots taken this week in the UK reveal a Jag XF with heavy disguise wrapping the front and rear.
Although wrapped in a ’60s psychedelic camouflage, our judgment is that Jaguar will fit new headlamps and tail lights to the facelifted 2011 XF; the bulbous, rounded headlamps have always jarred in our view, and we expect streamlined units more in keeping with the C-XF concept car and Jag XJ. The grille also looks to have changed somewhat.
What else is new on the 2011 facelifted Jaguar XF?
We know a new generation of smaller, four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines are coming; they will parachute the XF straight into the heartland of the executive car market to compete with big-sellers such as the BMW 520d and Audi A6 2.0 TDI.
And in 2012, Jaguar will add an estate bodystyle to the XF range. The name of the game under new boss Ralf Speth is broadening out the product line, to maximise sales and no longer concentrate just on the lucrative but smaller V6 markets.
When will the next all-new Jaguar XF arrive?
Not before 2014-2015. The second-gen XF will switch to Jaguar’s new Premium Lightweight Architecture using expertise garnered on the lightweight XJ and XK top models, which will add around €1500 to the cost but is worth it for the performance, economy and handling benefits.
The 2014 Jag XF will offer four-wheel drive options for the first time, as well as its standard rear-drive.
>> See the new October 2010 issue of CAR Magazine for our full scoop dossier on all the new Jaguars coming