2015 New York Auto Show: New 2016 Jaguar XF debut

Jaguar revealed the next generation XF in a dramatic way last week, ahead of its public debut at the New York Auto Show.  While the things on paper were already looking promising, we now have more details and some nice pictures from the venue in New York.

As confirmed earlier, the new XF is much lighter than its predecessor, courtesy the new structure that has 75 per cent aluminium. This has not only reduced the weight, but along with the clever combination of ultra-high-strength steel, also increased torsional rigidity by 28 per cent.  Jaguar claims near perfect 50:50 weight distribution for the new car that will be launched globally with both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive options.

Jaguar is using a new chain-driven AWD system that is both lighter and more efficient than the conventional system. The highlight however is the IDD (Intelligent Driveline Dynamics) system that sends torque to the rear wheels till it detects loss of traction through yaw rate, steering angle, lateral acceleration and shifts torque to the front wheels. Taking a cue from its sibling, the sedan also gets Adaptive Surface Response that adjusts behaviour with the terrain.

The American market gets supercharged V6 petrol engine options with the most powerful 380bhp version capable of reaching 100kph in five seconds. The second generation XF has much bigger wheelbase and hence should have better cabin space compared to the previous model. There are new gizmos as well including a 10.2-inch touchscreen display, gesture control and many innovative apps.

The new XF will come to India by the end of this year and will also get a four-cylinder diesel engine for efficiency. We are eagerly waiting to drive the new car and find out more about the India-specific version, but till such time let us be content with these photos.