The feline emblem on Jaguar cars has for many years been known as “the leaper.” And it has never been more appropriately displayed than on the new XF sports sedan that is leaping into the 21st century in styling. The difficult part of styling a new Jaguar — sedan or sports car — is to maintain the brand’s heritage without sticking too close to what has gone before. And Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum has done a marvelous job with the XF (the S-Type’s replacement), which looks thoroughly modern, even a bit futuristic, yet can still claim some delightful heritage cues.
I had the opportunity to see the all-new XF in England recently and to meet with Callum and the chief program engineer, Mick Mohan, along with Jaguar’s managing director, Bibiana Boerio, a fascinating lady who knows the car business up one side and down the other. Boerio summed up the XF: “Challenging convention and setting its own rules, the new Jaguar XF fuses the style and performance of a sports car with the refinement, space and sophistication of a luxury sedan. This is the beginning of a new era for Jaguar.”
Examining the XF closely, and being allowed to sit in it but with no opportunity for driving, I found I agreed with this description. Much of the styling of the XF indicates a coupe