Although opinion-dividing, there was little doubt that the distinctive S-Type sedan was a fine drive, particularly in R specification. To finally match
the heritage-rich British firm’s 21
st century driving dynamics with its
car’s looks, the new XF sports saloon replacement is a complete turn-around
from the classic three-box look of its previous efforts and instead is endowed
with a sense of taut, Germanic style which, despite some initial misgivings, is
garnering positive comments.
The sharp-suited interior is also very different from that
of the S-Type, with much crisper detailing and architecture. This is best
embodied within the rotary gear selector knob that rises out of the console
upon start-up, much as it did in the
concept
car – to which, thankfully, the production car remains largely faithful. The
rest of the spec remains largely similar to the outgoing model, with a choice
of V6 or V8 engines, including a supercharged 420hp model.
