Jaguar XF review – design
Not Jag’s finest saloon design of the era, but it’s inoffensive and handsome, if a little benign
With so much attention lavished on the interior, it’s not surprising to see the exterior has gone through a rather more subtle set of changes focused around the front bumper and wheel designs. New LED headlights, a larger grille and fresh lower intakes signify the bulk of the XF’s changes, and while all are sensitively applied, the XF still lacks the aggressive confidence of the smaller XE or the stature of German rivals.
The XF’s stretched side profile and tapered tail remain mostly unchanged. Jag’s designers have attempted to draw attention to the rear end’s width with a new lower bumper section around the rear, but it looks clumsy and poorly integrated, with the exhaust and muffler behind visible as the bodywork tapers up towards the rear wheels.
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Where the Jaguar saloon goes after this XF has run its course is what we’re most curious about, With the next XJ (if it does indeed ever arrive) eschewing the traditional bootlid for a lift-back, not to mention managing without an internal combustion engine, what this means for the next generation XF, if indeed Jaguar keeps its fingers in this marketplace, remains the more pertinent question. With a new helmsman at the wheel in design director Gerry McGovern’s new JLR-wide oversight, Jaguar’s future product is sure to get a shake up regardless, with this XF most likely to see the chop if the market’s current trendline continues.
