Leaner, Meaner, Fitter

The Jaguar XF gets a new edge

Given that the current oil crisis has caught us by the scruff of the neck, it makes sense for even a luxury car buyer to have the choice of a premium car with all the trappings that are practical as well as realistic.

This is where Jaguar’s latest third-generation 2.2 litre AJ-i4D turbocharged diesel motor and the accompanying 8-speed ZF automatic transmission come in. The engine makes a healthy 187 bhp with 45.8 kgm of torque. Top whack comes at a sufficient 224 kph.

Efficiency has been improved by reworking various ancillary components. For example, the engine’s brackets as well as the camshaft itself have been lightened. Frictional losses have been reduced by new pistons and thermal efficiency has been improved by permitting the engine to run at a higher temperature. To run reliably even with this increased heat, the turbocharger is water-cooled and the exhaust manifold is made out of stainless steel.

The Jaguar marque is synonymous with comfort and hence NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) has been kept to the minimum. Another departure from Jaguar’s norm with this engine is the fact that it will be placed longitudinally and not transversely in the car.

Coming to the 8-speed auto, this unit has been fine-tuned to improve the engine’s efficiency as well as performance and driving pleasure. Not only that, the tranny itself is more efficient because of the fact that it now contains less rotating masses and there are less mechanical power losses. Now, this gearbox is capable of shifting through the cogs within 200 milliseconds — that’s about four times faster than a human heartbeat!

Then there’s the new start-stop system from Jaguar. The concept isn’t new, but Jaguar has added its magic to it. For one, it takes the system a mere 300 milliseconds to shut down the engine which results in an overall increase in fuel economy and exhaust emissions by five to seven per cent, according to the company.

This system is so designed that it permits it to instantaneously restart the engine, taking less time to get the engine running than it would take the driver to move his foot from the brake to the accelerator pedal. It is smart enough to decide when to kick in after studying various parameters like cabin and ambient temperatures or whether the doors, boot and bonnet are closed properly. You can override this system as well.

Jaguar-Land Rover says this engine and gearbox will not appear in cars bound for India anytime soon, which is unfortunate as it makes a lot of sense for a country like ours.