Motoring: More bang for your buck from Jag; gong for C-Class & more

WITH all the hype surrounding the launch this spring of Jaguar’s new executive entry-level saloon, the XE, together with the global attention the brand has secured following its commitment to the new F-Pace crossover, you could be forgiven for thinking the company may have neglected its other models – the XF and XJ.

A facelift to the XJ is nearing production, which leaves the XF. Lest people forget, this is the car that revolutionised Jaguar’s fortunes by providing it with a best-selling executive car capable of taking on – and beating – the Germans at their own game.

Jaguar is naturally keen that the multi award-winning car is capable of maintaining its presence in a very crowded sector for a good few years yet. So, while the firm concentrates on its new models it is quietly upgrading the XF to ensure it maintains market appeal.

The company has announced a series of enhanced trim packages plus a brand new, high performance derivative, dubbed the R-Sport Black.

It has also been careful to keep costs down so in addition to the enhancements, Jaguar is marketing the cars on their value for money.

For example, featuring a comprehensive list of upgrades, including 20” Black Kalimnos alloy wheels and 770w Meridian Surround Sound system, the R-Sport Black is available with £8,770 worth of options over the standard R-Sport but will be available for just a £2,100 increase to its On-the-Road (OTR) price.

Surprisingly for a car that has been around since 2007, the XF has seen sales increase every year since its launch and it recorded its best year of sales to date just last year.

All models in the XF saloon and its estate derivative, the Sportbrake, range now come with Winter Comfort Pack and Parking Pack as standard. This means all models get heated seats and windscreen plus front parking sensors and a rear camera. In addition, higher specification Portfolio, Diesel S Portfolio, XFR and XFR-S variants now all benefit from Blind Spot Monitor as standard, while most models in the range gain upgraded alloy wheels.

To streamline the range, SE, SE Business and Premium Luxury trim levels have been discontinued, as have the 3.0-litre V6 petrol and 240PS 3.0-litre TDV6 diesel engines. As a result, the range now starts with the upgraded Luxury trim.

All Luxury models now also come with Gloss Dark Oak veneer. 200PS models also get upgraded from 17” Ursa alloys to new 18” Manra wheels – although cars with the 163PS engine retain the smaller wheels to keep their CO2 emissions to 129g/km. The extra equipment represents an additional £1,870 worth of value, with just a small On-the-Road price increase of £600 on 200PS models and £500 on 163PS variants.

Moving on from the Luxury trim is R-Sport.

All R-Sport models now come with Winter Comfort Pack, Parking Pack and the 380w Meridian Audio system as standard. All versions also now come with the Gloss Dark Oak veneer. 200PS models get 19” Grey Aquila wheels instead of the 18” Lyra alloys. In total, R-Sport variants now has £2,460 worth of options fitted as standard for an OTR increase of £800 on the 200PS models and £700 on 163PS cars.

Next up is the new R-Sport Black.

Available exclusively with the 2.2-litre turbocharged 200PS diesel engine, the new R-Sport Black derivative features a range of equipment and aesthetic enhancements as standard. These include: 20” Black Kalimnos alloy wheels, Black Pack, 770w Meridian Surround Sound system, full bond-grain leather upholstery and 18way Sports seats with memory function. R-Sport Black models come with a choice of five no-cost paint colours: Kyanite Blue, Italian Racing Red, Glacier White, Ultimate Black and Stratus Grey – with the Kyanite Blue option limited to just 100 units.

The price for luxurious Portfolio spec cars has been reduced by £3,500. Despite this, it is now equipped with (as standard) the Parking Pack, Blind Spot Monitor and 19” Artura wheels, while 20” Hydra and Silver Draco alloys have been added to the option list. Suedecloth headliner and metallic paint are no longer standard, plus Portfolio models now come with the 380w Meridian system.

The ferocious XFR gets a host of new kit as standard, including: stainless steel pedals, Speed Pack, Rear View Camera, Blind Spot Monitor and Red Brake Calipers. The extra equipment represents £3,760 worth of added value with no OTR increase.

The range-topping XFR-S now comes as standard with Rear View Camera and Blind Spot Monitor. The OTR price has not increased but the extra equipment is worth £860.

New recognition for C Class Hybrid

WHILE the upgraded XF is intended to compete with the likes of the Mercedes E Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6, Jaguar (in common with other manufacturers) is aware that many motorists keen to keep down costs are prepared to downsize their vehicle.

Many may be prepared to give up a little space and luxury in return for better economy.

Those who do, enter into another fiercely competitive sector – and one Jaguar is hoping to carve out a niche for itself with the new XE.

But it will face a fight for business because not only is there the market-leading BMW 3 Series but also a new C Class saloon.The Mercedes C 300 BlueTEC Hybrid

The latter has been on the market for almost 12 months but it will still prove a formidable opponent and Mercedes has now been buoyed by the news that the C Class has won the 2015 SME Company Car of the Year Award for Best Company Car for Tax.

The award actually goes to the C 300 BlueTEC Hybrid – which was praised by the judges for its low running costs and tax-efficiency.

In announcing the C-Class Award, Ralph Morton, editorial director at Business Car Manager, said: “The new Mercedes-Benz compact executive models don’t come along very often and the new car’s sleek styling and sport drive are sure to lure company car drivers away from rivals.”

It is claimed that the C 300 BlueTEC Hybrid – which as the name suggests is a diesel-electric hybrid – can return up to 78.4 mpg and it has CO₂ emissions of 94 g/km, putting the car in just the 11% company car tax band.

“For company car drives, this really is a fantastically tax-efficient way to drive an executive car,” adds Morton.

Sally Dennis, head of fleet, Mercedes-Benz UK, said the award: “demonstrates our focus on offering low-emission, efficient vehicles to our fleet customers as we continue to expand our Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and Electric range.”

The C 300 BlueTEC Hybrid – available as a saloon and estate is priced from £35,045 OTR and £38,240 OTR, respectively.

Swiss still sweet on Aston Martin

WHILE we’re on the subject of awards, Aston Martin has waded into view with a new addition to its trophy cabinet.

The manufacturer has been named as the most popular luxury car brand in Switzerland.

The sports car maker is celebrating a key class win, as well as podium places, for a number of its models in the influential “Best Cars of 2015” awards, run by respected automotive magazine Auto Illustrierte.

In the 2015 awards, presented at a ceremony in Zurich and decided entirely by magazine readers’ votes, the Aston Martin Rapide S was recognised for the sixth year running as the clear winner in the Luxury Class category.

Meanwhile the Vanquish super GT continued its run of international award successes with a second spot in the Sports Car class. Similarly, the convertible Vanquish Volante, launched in the autumn of 2013, took a creditable second spot in the Convertibles category.

Dr Andy Palmer, chief executive of Aston Martin Lagonda, said: “The fact that the Rapide S has been on the top of the podium every year since its introduction clearly shows how popular, and desirable, our stunning four-door, four-seat, sports car is.”

Drive safely.

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