2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged - Driving Impressions - First Drive

Although other markets will also offer a twin-turbo 2.7-liter diesel V-6 and a 3.0-liter gas six, the U.S. will get only the premium V-8s: a 4.2-liter naturally aspirated version making 300 horsepower and a supercharged-and-intercooled variant good for 420 horses. Both mate to a ZF six-speed automatic controlled by that unique rotary shift knob. A fully "drive by wire" system-no mechanical connections between shifter and transmission-the JaguarDrive Selector (the company should've called it something more fabulous, like "Twirl-N-Go") is intuitive, easy to use, and frees up console space for those oh-so-important Big Gulps. Simply rotate the knob to Drive, and you're off. An additional Sport setting quickens the transmission's responsiveness. Or simply pull one of the wheel-mounted shift paddles and you're changing gears manually (holding the upshift paddle for two seconds sends the system back to standard Drive). Particularly in full manual mode, shifts are brilliantly quick-10 percent faster, Jaguar says, than in the XK coupe.

As for the reliability of an electronically controlled shift knob that has to perform its rising and falling act multiple times every day, know this: Jaguar ran the rotary Selector through 68,000 test cycles and also subjected it to the "two-liter Coke test," dumping more than a Big Gulp's worth of Atlanta's world-famous brew onto the console and then ensuring that the Selector continued to function (professional driver on closed course: do not attempt).

The XF's variable-ratio power steering is magnificent, rich with feedback, arcing through its orbit smoothly, and transmitting a linear build-up of forces in corners. The ride impresses, too; the XF Supercharged gets Jaguar's CATS adaptive-damping system, which neatly balances body control with suspension plushness. Rough-road impacts are well absorbed, aided by a body structure (made of 25 grades of steel plus aluminum and magnesium) that Jaguar claims is the stiffest in the class. A composite undertray and a secondary bulkhead contribute to a cabin that transmits almost no wind noise and only a hint of road rumble.

Kick the throttle hard and the supercharged V-8 kicks back with plenty of thrust; Jaguar claims a 0-to-60-mph time of just 5.1 seconds (the normally aspirated XF is said to make the same run in 6.2 seconds). Not bad for a sedan that checks in at more than two tons. Top speed is limited to 155 mph. Perhaps most important, the V-8 makes sounds that will have your own heart flickering like that fancy starter button.