SMOOTH OPERATOR; WE BEGIN A YEAR WITH JAGUAR'S XF.(NEWS)

Byline: WES RAYNAL

Jaguar's 2009 XF is widely regarded as a make-or-break car for the British brand now owned by Tata of India. The XF replaces two models, the forgettable X-Type and the decent S-Type, which never sold in any significant numbers. In terms of size, the XF competes with the heavy hitters from Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW: the E-class, the A6 and the 5-series.

To say that the XF is an important car for Jaguar is an understatement. So, we thought we would flog one for a year and find out if we can get an indication of whether the car will be up to the task.

The XFs come in three trim levels: luxury, premium luxury and supercharged SC. We ordered the top of the line, of course, with the supercharged V8, and the car came loaded. The only option we checked was the adaptive cruise controlbut more about that later. The sticker price is $66,675, including destination.

Our XF's blown 4.2-liter V8 delivers 420 hp and 408 lb-ft of torque. It is fitted with the ZF's six-speed automatic, a terrific transmission. The XF uses the XK coupe's basic suspension of unequal aluminum wishbones in front and rear and available with computer-controlled adaptive dampening.

Most people on staff think the car looks good, but more than once, we've been asked how we like our Lexus.

The XF is one hell of a good driver, though. Jump on the gas, and there is no lag. Just a bunch of forward thrust, enough for the car to hit 60 mph in 5.57 seconds when we tested one in California. The supercharged V8 produces most of its torque from 2,000 revs to its 6,200-rpm redline, with no peaks or valleys.