2013 Jaguar XF

Jaguar Land Rover in Malaysia has launched the new Jaguar XF at RM 450,000 (Rs 76.25 lakh) for the Prestige version. Jaguar’s latest XF will also be available in an R-Sport variant that costs RM 460,000 (Rs 77.94 lakh).

After teasing it through a single image showing the car’s taillight, Jaguar has officially revealed the XFL at the ongoing Beijing Motor Show. This new model is the long-wheelbase version of the regular car that is sold globally.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced that it will locally assemble a long wheelbase version of the XF for the Chinese market. A teaser image confirms the name while a release from the company says that it will be put together at the Chery Jaguar Land Rover plant in Changshu.

Jaguar Land Rover is unlikely to be affected by the Supreme Court (SC) ruling in the long run. The SC on December 16 had banned the sale of diesel vehicles having a capacity of 2000cc and above, in the NCR, from January 1 to March 31, 2016. This is in a bid to control the pollution situation that is currently plaguing the capital.

The original XF launched in 2007 was a radical step forward for Jaguar. Combining a sleek, coupe-like exterior and a luxurious interior, the XF made for a highly desirable vehicle and went on to become one of Jaguar’s top-selling cars ever. With this all-new XF, Jaguar says it has retained its predecessor’s core attributes but uses the brand’s aluminium-intensive architecture to allow weight savings of up to 190kg.

Irrespective of being a car guy or not, we all tend to love big fat German sedans. Perhaps it is because they can theoretically do it all. Quick on their feet, tractable and put together like bank vaults, it’s the kind of cars that can turn your mundane commute into an occasion, be it sunshine or shady. The kind that cocoons you in sumptuous leather and engages you with the latest in gadgets. The kind that makes you feel good about yourself.

With diesel being the need of the hour, Jaguar has bought in the XF S. The Coventry cat is ready to pound on its German rivals. Will it succeed? We find out.