These included a misaligned steering column shroud, skew dashboard stitching and faint but audible rattles. It culminates in a subpar-quality Jaguar badge above the dashboard which served to highlight the trim issues picked up by a number of testers. Once ensconced in the Jaguar’s comfortable driver’s seat with (the surprisingly) optional electric adjustment, immediately obvious is the high belt-line and the so-called Riva strip that encircles the cockpit.
COMPARE 2016 JAGUAR XF AND LEXUS GS 350 FULL
Taking its well-planned functionality into account, and considering the full 12,3-inch option is available only as part of a package that also upgrades the audio system at a cost of R31 900, we’d advise buyers to stick to the standard unit. The XF boasts InControl Touch that makes a mockery of the Lexus’ clumsy haptic controller – assessing functions on the touch-sensitive screen couldn’t be easier, and our only gripe is that the system’s response to a selection isn’t quite as quick as we’d like. What hasn’t been carried over from the previous version is its annoyingly clunky infotainment system. Gone are the rotating central air vents of the previous model – only the outer vents retain this feature – but the rising gear knob remains. Like the XE with which it shares major cabin componentry, the XF’s cockpit favours minimalism over mess. The Lexus, meanwhile, attempts to meld old-school cool – the solid controls for the audio system that recall that of a high-end home stereo from the 1980s – with a crystal-clear display screen, with mixed results. The Jaguar has a conservative facia, with a traditional centre stack and wide plank of interior trim spanning the width of the facia.
That impression is only enforced when you climb aboard. It’s visually more interesting, but there’s little doubt the British car has the more cohesive appearance. The GS, meanwhile, sports an ornate interpretation of Lexus’ familiar spindle grille, swooshes below the xenon-equipped headlamps that function as daytime-running lamps, deep scallops in the front bumper, and wide but shallow chrome surrounds for the rear exhaust outlets. Without these items, and shod with standard-fit 18-inch wheels and plump tyres, the XF is elegant but derivative of the XE. The front overhang, for example, is a whole 66 mm shorter, but ultimately the XF is blandly wrought.ĭitching its predecessor’s coupé-like roofline in favour of a design that sees rear headroom rendered class-competitive (27 mm more, which has been aided by the engineers lowering the rear bench), this Metallic Glacier White XF benefits from the addition of 20-inch Matrix “contrast diamond” alloy wheels at a pricey R32 500, a Gloss Black Pack (R7 100) and the R-Sport body kit.
Too safe, perhaps? Looking for all the world like an XE, especially aft where the two siblings are effectively indistinguishable, the XF is beautifully balanced. Where the Japanese car is a riot of discordant details set upon a conservative shape, the Jaguar plays it safe all round. The companies’ varied interpretations become clear as soon as you evaluate their exteriors. On the surface, there’s very little that distinguishes the two sedans… So, their power and torque figures are closely matched, as are their gearboxes, and the larger aluminium-bodied XF is just 42 kg heavier.
Like the Jaguar, the powertrain sends thrust to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It comes in one lavish spec level and uses the new 180 kW/350 N.m 2,0-litre turbopetrol engine that we first experienced in the NX crossover. The recently introduced 200t, conversely, is one of just two GS models (the other being the dearer 350).
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