Uncle YS invited Sweetie and Me for coffee up in Genting.
When I was told that I was going to drive a Jaguar I thought that it was going to be one of those models which has the classic Jaguar shape and design that defines who they are. But I was really surprise when I first saw it. Standing at the front of the car felt intimidating, it was really quite a surprise. The new look from this XF is fit for the younger generation. I'm pretty sure you'd be able to see a CEO or a High Level Junior Executive driving it on the streets. Rear lights and design is similar to a Lexus, only the Jaguar logo made it identifiable.
Next the interior, everything that I expected from a luxury car was there. Leather seats, Touch Screen HUD, ambient door lights and the works. What really caught my attention was the gear knob which was really a dial which was similar to the BMW's but only to control the Automatic gearbox. On the steering wheel all the standard buttons were there, Cruise Control, Audio Control & Phone Answer. Talking about Audio, I didn't really test the sound system but managed to see what was available in that department. It had a CD changer, IPod connector, USB connector and an AUX connector. We were more interested in listening to the car which was really quiet, at idle there was hardly any sound coming from the engine. Once we got moving it felt as though I was really driving a sports car and not some luxury sedan.
The 3.0L V6 engine didn't really sound like we'd expect it to sound, it was missing the V6 grunt or rumble as we pushed the car. But overall the engine did feel okay, I expected more power from the car but it was just nice, leaving the gear in D felt normal, but the car was easy to drive. As we approached the winding roads, I turned the gear selector to S mode which allowed me to use the paddle shifters on the steering wheel and as I shifted down the car rev up to match the speed and I stepped on it. Power delivery was more aggressive and allowed me to rev all the way up to 7500 rpm before the electronics shifted the gear for me. Paddle shift mode had 6-speeds, but we noticed that 2nd gear was too short and 3rd gear was too long to have fun with, on these winding roads unfortunately.
So the uphill climb started as Uncle YS called out some pace notes which were really accurate, I was doing 150-160 on some short straights and going through the winding roads with ease! Now this I didn't expect, the car actually handles great. Body roll was not even noticable, there were of course some driving assist electronics that were left on but that was the whole experience, the car was so easy to drive, at one point I was turning and I braked a little to give the front a bit of weight to get the tail out but the electronics came on straightaway and assisted me to correct the error. Yes the car has all the electronics that you'd expect to compete with the other makes. This car not only took corners well, it felt comfy too. Sweetie who was the back seat passanger felt comfy all the way up and down. For that I was impressed.
We made it up for coffee and food. Uncle YS drove the downhill section and watching him in his element is one heck of an experience.
Overall the car is good looking on the outside and in the inside, but the 3.0L V6 failed to impress us, but we were definately impressed with the handling, ride comfort and ease of driving the XF.
Thanks to Uncle YS once again for inviting us up. Finally I've driven a million dollar car.
Agressive curves
Blue lit meters
Attacking the corners, wasn't an issue
