LONDON: The all-new 2016 Jaguar XF has been revealed through a dramatic ‘high-wire’ water crossing in the heart of London’s business district.
Expert British stunt man Jim Dowdell, veteran of Hollywood movies including Bond, Bourne and Indiana Jones, drove the “new cat” 240m across a high-wire to highlight the lightweight aluminium-intensive architecture featured on the vehicle.
The feat took place high over the Royal Dock in London’s Canary Wharf.
“Over my 35 years in the industry I’ve driven Jaguar vehicles on many Hollywood movie sets. However, the biggest test for me on this stunt was the unpredictability of the elements.
“Potential oscillation in the high-wires from wind speeds meant it added a real challenge. The wires are only 34mm in diameter so the journey required absolute precision, balance and control” said, expert stuntman Jim Dowdell.
Meteorological experts and structural engineers were on hand to determine precise drive conditions, based on comprehensive crosswind analysis.
As a contingency, Dowdell was rigged up with abseil equipment, a cherry picker crane was on hand and a RIB safety speedboat waited on the banks.
The full technical and range specifications of the latest XF will be released on April 1 during its global motor show debut at the 2015 New York International Auto Show.
But for now, here what’s known so far.
The latest Jaguar is 7mm shorter and 3mm lower than its predecessor, and with a 2,960mm wheelbase it comes in 51mm longer for more rear leg-room, knee room and head room.
Two 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engines will be offered in the first model year rated at 340hp/450Nm and 380hp/450Nm while mated exclusively to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Front suspension are of front double wishbone and the rear is an Integral Link suspension, which is combined with near-50:50 weight distribution, for that ideal balance between agility, comfort and refinement.
As standard, advanced passive damper technology has been fitted to provide an exceptionally comfortable ride, but for additional control the optional Adaptive Dynamics system will determine the optimum damper settings for driving conditions.
When fitted, Jaguar Configurable Dynamics, first developed for the Jaguar F-TYPE, will provide even more control and enables the driver to individually tailor settings of the suspension, steering, engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.
For select markets, such as the US, which demand all-wheel drive (AWD), Jaguar has engineered a new torque on-demand system.
The transfer case uses a chain drive instead of gears and is light, quiet and efficient.
Capability is also enhanced by the advanced control system first used in the Jaguar F-TYPE AWD with the Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD).
This system delivers rear-drive handling with the performance and traction benefits of AWD.
Also standard on the all-new XF is All-Surface Progress Control system, developed for low-speed driving in adverse conditions.
This system is designed to automatically manage the brakes and the throttle to deliver additional traction, enabling the car to pull away smoothly in low-grip situations; the driver only has to steer.
As for infotainment and connectivity, Jaguar is providing an InControl Touch system, which features an eight-inch touchscreen or the optional InControl Touch Pro with a 10.2-inch touchscreen to InControl Apps and InControl Remote.
To handle large amounts of data, the optional Jaguar InControl Touch Pro features a 10.2-inch touchscreen, a solid-state drive, a quad-core processor.
Furthermore, it runs on an ultra-fast Ethernet connection – a next-generation network offering exceptional data transfer rates and when combined it said that they deliver incredible graphics, fast response times and a truly exceptional performance.
To complement the InControl Touch Pro is a reconfigurable 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster.
Jaguar Land Rover pioneered this technology with the Range Rover and is now bringing it to the sedan segment.
The all-new Jaguar XF offers a wide range of available advanced driver assistance systems, including full-LED headlights and Laser Heads-Up Display.
The all-new aluminum-intensive 2016 Jaguar XF will be manufactured at the Jaguar Land Rover Castle Bromwich Plant alongside the all-aluminum Jaguar F-TYPE and Jaguar XJ.
Keyword: Jaguar XF high-wire act