TRACK DAY
JAGUAR LIVE
rev counter. Below that point and the XF crawls and feels limp before the turbochargers spool up and catapult you forward with such sudden urgency you feel as though its rump was prodded by a nail.
Hard figures from Jaguar say that the 237hp and 340Nm of torque from the engine enables the XF 2.0Ti to go from 0 to 100km / h in 7.9 seconds, the lag certainly seems hinder its initial progress and experience.
We suspect that this handicap has something to do with the eight-speed torque converter automatic the XF comes fitted with, which dampens the engine’ s responsiveness.
While the drivetrain left much to be desired, exploiting the XF’ s inherent balance meant that we could carry more speeds through the slalom section of the circuit and keep the engine speed up. Undoubtedly, once the XF 2.0Ti gets up to speed it is a sharp and very entertaining drive, but we wonder how it will perform in real life situations such as junctions and traffic.
Speaking of getting up to speed, we were ushered from the gymkhana course and onto the main circuit to try out the same 2-litre turbocharged engines again, this time on the 2.0 variant of XJL. With plenty of fast flowing corners we could keep the engine speeds above the 2,000rpm mark, and the engines does feel the best part of its 237hp claim. That said, the drive around the SIC was
SpECifiCaTiOnS
Jaguar XJL 2.0Ti
Engine 1,999cc 4-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged
Max power 237hp( 177kw) @ 5,500rpm
Max torque 340nm
Transmission eight-speed automatic, rearwheel drive
Acceleration( 0-100km / h) 7.5 seconds
Top speed 241km / h
Fuel consumption( combined) 9.3L / 100km
CO2 emissions 216g / km
Price rm598,888 nett
SpECifiCaTiOnS
Jaguar XJL 3.0SC
Engine 2,995cc V6 supercharged
Max power 335hp( 250kw) @ 6,500rpm
Max torque 450nm
Transmission eight-speed automatic, rearwheel drive
Acceleration( 0-100km / h) 5.9 seconds
Top speed 250km / h
Fuel consumption( combined) 9.6L / 100km
CO2 emissions 224g / km
Price rm838,888 nett
more sedate than exciting as there wasn’ t enough muscle from the tiny engine to fully exploit the XJL’ s deft handling characteristics.
Ideally, the supercharged V6 we tested earlier would have been sufficient to explore the XJL’ s breath of abilities, but we can say that at speed, the relatively tiny 4-cylinder engine is a refined gem that is suited for the XJL’ s luxurious intent.
Push the small 4-cylinder engine however and it delivers a rough engine note that is uncharacteristic of the gruff engine notes you get from the bigger petrol engines and even the big 3-litre diesel variant.
Performance expectations aside the XJL 2.0Ti has enough power to move itself, the engine’ s 340Nm of torque goes a long way in offsetting the XJL’ s claimed 1,765kg kerb weight, and as long as you aren’ t charging from a standstill too often, doesn’ t feel insufficient for the big Jag.
The top cat prowls
An opportunity to drive the Jaguar XKR-S is a tantalising one indeed, however having just two
SpECifiCaTiOnS
Jaguar XKR-S
Engine 5,000cc V8 supercharged
Max power 542hp( 404kw) @ 6,000 – 6,500rpm
Max torque 680nm @ 2,500 – 5,500rpm
Transmission six-speed transmission, rearwheel drive
Acceleration( 0-100km / h) 4.4 seconds
Top speed 300km / h
Fuel consumption( combined) 12.3L / 100km
CO2 emissions 292g / km
Price rm1,288,888( coupe), rm1,348,888( convertible)
units at the event, we were only offered taxi rides with the help of trained professionals. A slightly disappointing turn of fortune for us, but we still did manage to find out how the 542hp XKR-S performs on the circuit.
Despite its savage engine note at full chat and its title as the fastest production model from the company’ s long history, it doesn’ t feel like a hardcore race car with numberplates.
Trimmed in black leather and contrasting red stitching the cabin feels almost luxurious by performance car standards, and the seats are comfortable with the right amount of support that it does hinder access into the low slung cabin.
After a very brief and very fast lap of the SIC, we didn’ t feel as though we needed a quick trip to the chiropractor as it felt pretty relaxing for the pace we were doing.
The ride wasn’ t totally boring as the tail did come into play a number of times, and judging from the precise inputs the professional drivers were dialling in at every corner the XKR-S, it does have an attentive front end.
But like its big four-door cousins, the XKR-S doesn’ t forgo every bit of comfort to extract every bit of performance.
Thinking about it further, the XKR-S( and indeed the other models) does carry forward the heritage of the company quite well; by building cars that are fast yet comfortable and capable.
A car for the“ gentleman racer”.
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