Top 3 Jaguar XF trims head to head: here’s our winner

The Jaguar XF is available in a variety of specification levels, with many available options to set them apart from the herd. Buyers can also choose from a fairly wide engine range, in both petrol and diesel flavours. Let’s compare three mainstream trim levels, and figure out which one offers the most agreeable configuration.

Martin Pretorius

2 Aug 2019 · 12:33Car Ownership

In the executive saloon market, most South African buyers would choose something German by default. But for those with a taste for something different, there are some enticing alternatives to the Teutonic trio, with the Jaguar XF being one of the most appealing. To cater for these individualists, Jaguar offers a fairly bewildering range of trim levels and optional extras – and that’s even if we leave limited-production special editions out of the equation. We decided to compare three trim levels, to determine which one would suit which buyer the best.

For the purpose of this exercise, we decided to concentrate on the 2.0-litre turbo petrol derivatives in 184 kW specification (known as the “25t”), to maintain power parity between the variants. This base engine has a pretty decent power output, and sends 365 Nm of torque to the rear wheels through an 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. 0 – 100 km/h sprints are dispatched in a claimed 6.6 seconds, with a top speed of 244 km/h and a claimed average consumption of 6.8 litres/100 km.

Jaguar XF 25t Prestige

The XF range opens up with the Prestige trim level, which means that it’s shod with 17-inch wheels and comparatively skinny 225/55R17 tyres. Standard equipment is quite comprehensive, in spite of its “base model” status, with perforated leather upholstery for the 10-way electrically adjustable front seats, illuminated metal tread plates with the Jaguar logo, a touchscreen multimedia system, steering wheel controls, automatic climate control, cruise control, pushbutton engine start/stop (but remote-controlled central locking), and LED headlights all featuring on the spec sheet. This well-stocked entry-level spec sheet goes quite some way towards justifying the XF Prestige variant’s retail price of R 910 300 (before options).

Jaguar XF 25t Portfolio

This is the upmarket variation on the XF theme, and consequently places a greater emphasis on luxury features and a premium ambience. In addition to the Prestige derivative’s standard spec, the Portfolio adds 18-inch alloy wheels with 245/45R18 tyres, gloss ebony veneer cabin trim inserts, perforated “Windsor” leather upholstery (as opposed to the Prestige’s grained leather), and heated, power-folding door mirrors with integrated approach lamps. 19- and 20-inch wheels are optional, but they won’t ride as comfortably. Portfolio trim is substantially more expensive, however, and its list price of R 984 000 is more than R 70 000 dearer than the Prestige variant.

Jaguar XF 25t R-Sport

With a price hike of only R 1 900 over the Portfolio, the R-Sport aims for a sportier ambience than the other two. To this end, it gets gloss black window surrounds instead of chromed items, along with a sports front bumper, side sills and boot spoiler. Inside, you’ll find lovely sports seats, trimmed in grained perforated leather like in the Prestige, but this time with contrasting stitching for a sportier appearance. Also included in its list price of R 985 900 is sports suspension, so this is probably not the ideal XF if you value comfort above all else.

Optional extras

One thing the XF has in common with other premium brands is the extensive options list. They’re well-equipped as standard, but you’ll have to pay extra for the fancy stuff, special upholstery and prettier wheels. None of them carry such niceties as a sliding panoramic sunroof (R 13 200), solar-attenuating windscreen (R 6 900), or privacy glass (R 4 700) – and that’s just the glasswork. Of course, you can also specify rear window blinds, which cost R 2 800 for the sides and R 5 700 for the rear windscreen.

The list just goes on and on. Other available features include adaptive cruise control ( R 19 800), navigation and Meridian audio system upgrade (up to R 36 900), head-up display (R 19 600), heated and cooled front seats with heated rear seats (another R 19 600), or 360-degree camera system (part of the R36 800 Parking Assistant Pack). All of these options (and a whole lot more) are available on almost all trim levels.

Which one is best?

Looking at it from a pure value-for-money perspective, the basic Prestige trim seems to be the winning candidate, with the parking pack and infotainment system upgrade options ticked on the order form. It’s still a looker even without a body kit or fancy wheels, and you can simulate some of the sexier R-Sport’s appeal by ordering the no-cost gloss black window and grille surrounds. Add a surprisingly cheap upgrade (R 4 900) to 18-inch wheels, and it will look like a million bucks without costing quite as much. Configured this way, you’ll get most of the modern conveniences without stretching your budget too far.