Inside, the cabin takes an even bigger leap forward, with a new low-set dash and moody blue lighting. There is more space and, thanks to the taller roof, extra rear headroom as well.
Starting the car is a real occasion. Press the ‘power’ button, which pulses red like a heartbeat, and the cylindrical JaguarDrive gearshift rises gracefully, while the air vents slide open.
Other neat features inside include proximity-sensitive lights – a wave of a hand is all that’s needed to illuminate them – and a touchscreen for the sat-nav and stereo system. But it is how the XF behaves on the road that we’re really interested in – and chauffering Auto Express is a man who has done more miles developing the new model than anyone else: expert test driver Wolfgang Schuhbauer.
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