HANDSHAKE? HOW 'BOUT A BIG, JUICY KISS; Jaguar's XF sedan delivers what its stunning shape promises.(News)

Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO

We probably don't need to remind you that the 2009 XF is a make-or-break car for Jaguar, regardless of who owns the company when its new sedan goes on sale March 1.

If you frequent these pages, you know about tough financial times at Jaguar and its pending sale by Ford Motor Co. You've seen the XF's paradigm-shifting design and read about the custom feel of its double-stitched, wood-and-leather cabin ("The One,'' AW, Sept. 17). What you probably don't know is that entry into the XF begins with a charming salutation that Jaguar calls "the handshake'' and what sort of impressions the XF offers those in the driver's seat. Well, this new Jaguar feels mighty fine.

About 300 miles into a drive, we can tell that the obvious competition-the Audi A6, the BMW 5 Series, the Mercedes E-Class and probably the Lexus GS- has nothing substantial on the XF.

What's new on the XF is mostly what meets the eye, though the hardware underneath is anything but mundane. A lot of it, including the basic suspension configuration-unequal aluminum wishbones in front, multilink rear, subframe-mounted and available with CATS adaptive dampening-is borrowed from Jag's XK coupe and roadster. Engines come from the S-Type, which the XF replaces, with improvements as applied in the XK: Jag's 4.2-liter V8, delivering 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, or a blown version with a rotor-type supercharger generating 420 hp and 408 lb-ft. Either engine is fitted with ZF's six-speed automatic, one of the best torque-converter transmissions that money can buy.

The XF will come in three trim levels, starting with normally aspirated Luxury ($49,975 with destination). The Premium Luxury NA ($55,975) adds more stuff, while the SC ($62,975) comes with just about everything, including standard 20-inch wheels, a first in this class. The SC equates with the S-Type R, and while Jaguar hasn't confirmed such, we can be sure an XFR is on the way. We can expect a six-cylinder in the mix as well, as soon as Jag improves on the S-Type's anemic 3.0-liter V6.

For all the familiar bits under the hood, it's clear as soon as you slide in that the XF is a different cat. It's partly the driver's orientation to surroundings, the lower dash, an absence of rounded flat panels and maybe the wide, sports-car-like center console. Then there's the handshake.