Full 2012 Jaguar XF Review
What's New for 2012
The Jaguar XF gets a few updates for 2012. The exterior styling looks even sleeker this year thanks to new headlights and taillights. The interior gets a new seat design, revised interior controls, upgraded sound systems and a new touchscreen electronics interface to go along with enhanced high-tech features. Finally, the previous Premium trim level has been replaced by the XF Portfolio.
Introduction
The 2012 Jaguar XF represents a bold take on the luxury sedan segment and it has a rich character that's immediately evident. The console-mounted start button pulsates red as if there's a real feline heart beating deep inside. Pressing it brings the Jaguar V8 to life and then, like the curtain rising on La Traviata, lifts the circular gear selector into the driver's palm and rotates the four air vents into place. This is automotive theatre that makes similar efforts by various Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz models seem like uninspired dinner club productions.
For three years, such theatre has helped rejuvenate a Jaguar brand that had pretty much used up the last of its nine lives (our last feline reference, we promise). But as this midsize luxury sedan hits the midpoint of its lifecycle, there is certainly room for improvement. For 2012, the XF and high-performance XFR get a mild styling refresh that smoothes out some of the car's less elegant details. The most prominent change can be seen on the headlights, which have been restyled to be sleeker and now more closely resemble those of the flagship XJ sedan. The grille is a tad more upright, while the lower fascia has been made less fussy. Around back, the taillights are a big bigger and now utilize LED bulbs.
Inside the cabin, the base model's seats are more supportive this year and there are new colors available for the leather upholstery. More important, Jaguar has installed its latest navigation system complete with the same touchscreen interface that's also used in the XJ. It still has some ergonomic issues and responds slowly at times, but it represents a big improvement. Other interior controls have been reworked to look, feel and function better.
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