This year more powertrain news for Jaguar's mid-size XF sedan. For 2018, this shapely cat now has the option of a 2.0L Ingenium turbocharged four-cylinder engine to fill the space between the diesel added last year and the supercharged V6 that occupies top spot under the car's long hood.
Also new are forward traffic detection and forward vehicle guidance, which use the car's surround-view camera system to detect obstacles in the car's path and help the driver avoid them when negotiating tight parking maneuvers.
The 2018 XF is also the first of its breed to be offered with a hands-free power trunk, and later this year Jaguar will begin the global rollout of a cashless gasoline payment system it developed with Shell. Already in action in the UK, the system lets Jag drivers conduct the fuel purchase transact from the car's infotainment screen.
As in the XE and F-Pace models that share the latest Ingenium engine, the new entry-level XF 25t trim boasts 247 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque and comes matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
Like last year, the 20d model's diesel cranks out a modest-sounding 180 hp and 318 lb-ft of torque, while the 3.0L V6 makes 340 hp and 332 lb-ft in the 35t model, and adds 40 hp in the top-end S trim.
Jaguar's expansion of the XF's engine offerings put its biggest sedan on something closer to an equal footing with better-known competitors from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Cadillac, though Jaguar lacks a true high-performance model to go up against V8-powered versions of those cars. Still, small turbo four-cylinders are where the money is in this class, so this motor's addition will increase this car's appeal. The new engine has also allowed Jaguar to cut the XF's starting price to $58,900, a $1,100 discount compared to the 2017 20d model, last year's least-expensive offering.
The XF is once again available in five trims: Premium, Prestige, R-Sport, S and Portfolio, but the diesel and gas four-cylinders can only be optioned in the first three, and S only comes with the uprated V6 engine.
Premium models come standard with the likes of xenon headlights with LED signature lighting, panoramic sunroof 10-way front seats with driver memory, backup camera, eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, 18-inch wheels and a 380-watt, 11-speaker stereo.
Prestige models add heated front seats with four-way power lumbar, leather upholstery, heated steering wheel, front and rear park assist, passive keyless entry, navigation and 19-inch wheels.
R-Sport's notable additions include sport seats, lane keeping assist and driver condition monitoring, steerable LED headlights with automatic high beams, blind spot monitor with closing vehicle sensing, and reverse traffic detection.
The V6-only Porfolio trim gets heated and cooled Windsor leather seats with 20-way power adjustment, heated rear seats, 825-watt, 17-speaker stereo, full digital gauge cluster and a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen.
