New diesels for Jaguar XF

Jaguar has announced a new range of turbodiesel engines to power its acclaimed XF saloon. The new 3.0-litre units will replace the 2.7-litre engine and bring not just more power and performance but greater economy and lower emissions too.

Two versions of the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel will be offered, the flagship of the pairing being a parallel sequentially turbocharged unit with 271bhp and 442lb.ft of torque. That's enough to allow the XF Diesel S to sprint to 62mph in just 5.9 seconds and onto a maximum speed of 155mph.

Jaguar realises that not all its customers are in quite such a hurry though and also offers a lesser power version with 237bhp. It's still no slouch though with a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds. The new engines better equip Jaguar's XF to compete against big output turbodiesels from rivals BMW and Mercedes and address criticism that the outgoing 2.7-litre turbodiesel is a bit overwhelmed in the big saloon.

Jaguar might be boasting of increased performance from its new diesel engine range, but it's not at the expense of emissions and fuel economy. Both versions of the engine achieve a highly credible 42.0mpg and 179g/km of CO₂; meaning there's no environmental penalty for drivers wanting the higher output model.

The new engines will be available from March 2009 with prices starting at £33,900 for the 3.0-litre diesel and £36,900 for the 3.0-litre Diesel S.

Kyle Fortune