Over a period of 10 years readers of Auto Express have been invited to participate in the Driver Power survey and evaluate the car they own. The detailed survey encompassed many aspects of vehicle ownership - from reliability to dealer performance, to design, handling and ease of use.
In that time over 300,000 readers participated with hundreds of individual cars being tested. The Jaguar XF emerged as number one.
Acting editor of Auto Express, Graham Hope, presented Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover and Andrew Whyman, chief programme engineer, XF, with the award in front of staff at the Castle Bromwich Factory.
Dr Speth commented: “We are humbled by Jaguar owners voting in such a way to rate the XF as the number one car in the UK. It’s a tremendous achievement for everyone in Jaguar - from the people here at Castle Bromwich who have been building the car since 2008 to the engineers, the designers, and the dealers. I am very proud to receive the award on their behalf.”
Also present to accept the award was Andy Whyman, chief programme engineer. Gathered at the presentation were technicians from the Castle Bromwich product line as well as the very first XF ever produced sitting alongside a new XF, fresh off the line.
Graham Hope, editor of Auto Express, commented: “Jaguar’s XF is a thoroughly deserving winner of our Car of the Decade. Over the past 10 years, more than 302,000 Auto Express readers have told us what they like and dislike about their cars, and no model has demonstrated such consistent all-round ability as the XF. It’s fantastic to drive and extremely well built - a tribute to the skilled workforce at Castle Bromwich. I am absolutely delighted that a British-built car has won this award, and fully expect the latest version of the XF, with its new diesel engine, to achieve even more success in the years ahead.”
Since 2008 over 37,000 examples of the XF have been sold in the UK. A relentless programme of engineering improvements has meant that the XF has remained highly competitive in its class. On September 1 the most efficient XF yet, the new 2.2-litre Diesel model, will go on sale. Capable of travelling in excess of 800 miles on a single tank of diesel and emitting 149 g/km of CO2, the XF 2.2 combines economy with the performance, refinement, and dynamic ability expected of a modern Jaguar. Like the rest of the XF range it benefits from a series of aesthetic changes both inside and out to lend it a fresh, elegant new look.
