2009 Jaguar XF Superchaged - Pricing and Specs - First Drive

While the XF offers nearly 18 cubic feet of trunk space (and the ability to fold down the rear seats for even more cargo room), its rear compartment is not its strong suit. With a six-footer comfortably situated in the driver's seat, a similarly sized adult sitting behind will be squeezed (things are better on the passenger side, where the front-seater can more easily scoot up a bit). True, the XF's rear bench is considerably more accommodating than the all-but-unuseable rear buckets in the two-door XK, but overall the XF feels more like a roomy four-door coupe than a true five-passenger sedan.

When the XF goes on sale in March, Jaguar will offer three versions: normally aspirated Luxury (base price: $49,975), normally aspirated Premium Luxury ($55,975, with such added standard features as 19-inch alloy wheels-versus the base 18s-heated front seats, premium soft-grain leather, and navigation), and the topline XF Supercharged ($62,975), which comes standard with 20-inch alloys and every feature but an optional heated steering wheel and radar-guided adaptive cruise control. Jaguar expects the Supercharged edition to account for about 15 percent of the XF mix, but given the blown car's content and 120 additional ponies, it's likely the actual percentage will be far higher.

For sure, the XF has the performance and panache to stand out in the premium midsize segment-and attract those younger buyers Jaguar is so keen on. We'll need a comparison test to confirm how the XF stands up against its impressive competition, but a car with a heart is going to be tough to beat.