Jaguar XF engines & performance

JLR’s gently hybridised Ingenium diesel four-pot retains the occasional driveline hesitation when you’re just tipping into the throttle pedal, as it juggles that transient blending of its electric and combustive power sources. Such instances are pretty rare, though. Most of the time, it just offers usefully stout-feeling mid-range torque, paired with good refinement and equally good economy for a car of its size. During mixed-speed touring, an indicated 50mpg is easily achievable with a fairly light load on board.

This phase of mild-hybridisation has also made a perceptible difference to how torquey these engines feel on the road and mechanical isolation has been incrementally improving over the years in parallel. (The new XF has an active noise cancellation system that works to dampen the effect of its various sources of noise on your senses.) 

The diesel engine's start-stop system is seamless and operates without any vibrations or judders, despite working with quite an old engine.

Jonathan Bryce

Editorial Assistant

Meanwhile, the 2.0-litre petrol engines offer better, more responsive straight-line performance if this is one of your priorities. Even the standard P250, with 247bhp and 269lb ft, manages 0-62mph in 6.5sec and a top speed of 155mph. In its most powerful guise, the P300, its 296bhp helps to cut the 0-62mph time by 0.4sec, but top speed remains the same.

The eight-speed gearbox may be the last piece of the puzzle for Jaguar to sort. It still seems to hesitate at times but also to rush its engagements and actuations at lower speeds and at other times.