2012 Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel – $78,900

Powered by the newly designed AJ-i4D diesel engine, the entry model XF diesel is by and large the most economical Jaguar ever made. Despite the impressive performance figure (140kW and 450Nm of torque), it uses just 5.4L of diesel per 100km and emits only 149g of CO2 per km. No doubt the excellent fuel economy has helped offset the luxury car tax and keep the price down.

Don't be fooled by the price though, as this XF is packed with features. Apart from the new engine, the biggest change is the new 8-speed ZF 8HP70 automatic gearbox with start-stop technology that Jaguar says has significantly helped improve fuel efficiency.

Jaguar has made use of an intelligent start-stop system which allows for much faster engine restarts. The 2.2-litre engine doesn't need to fully stop before it can be restarted, in fact, it's able to restart even while it's shifting down (from just 400 rpm).

The entry model XF comes standard with alcantara / bond grain leather facings, dual-zone climate control, 17" alloys, cruise control, Bi-Xenon headlamps, LED Daytime running lamps, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a 7" colour touch screen display, 10 speaker 400W sound system with native iPod/iPhone support, smart key entry system and much more. Not bad for under 80k.

Despite being able to travel 1,313km on a single tank of fuel , the 0-100km/h dash is achieved in a respectable 8.5 seconds.

Jaguar hopes the lower entry price into the range will see the XF become an even more successful model for the company.

In addition to the new diesel engine, all 2012 Jaguar XFs gain a range of exterior and interior changes to bring them closer in the looks department to the XJ.

CarAdvice is currently in Munich, Germany for the global launch of the new XF 2.2-litre diesel and will bring you a full review of the new super-efficient Jag over the next few days. In the mean time, read our 2012 Jaguar XF story from New York Motor Show.

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