Apart form a few small trim and feature changes there's very little to distinguish Jaguar's 2014 model year XF from the current model, but the catwalk saloon has made some decent strides in the field of efficiency.
Jaguar is launching a new version of its 2.2-lire four-cylinder turbodiesel engine. The downside is that it's been detuned from 140kW to just 120kW, with peak torque falling from 450Nm to 400Nm, but the new version does boast an official combined fuel consumption figure of just 4.9 litres per 100km, down from 6 l/100km. This translates into a CO2 emissions figure of just 129g/km.
The performance figures are a little on the leisurely side, with Jaguar claiming a 9.8-second 0-100km/h time and 209km/h top speed but then again - this big cat is all about efficient cruising.
Jaguar hasn't mentioned any other engine changes, so we can assume the range will continue to offer the familiar 140kW/450Nm 2.2-litre and 202kW/600Nm turbodiesels, along with a petrol line-up comprising of a 177kW/340Nm 2-litre turbo, 250kW/450Nm 3-litre V6 and 375kW/625Nm 5-litre V8 - the latter two being supercharged.
The engine is mated to an eight speed automatic gearbox and urban driving efficiency is ensured by an idle-stop system, which also has 'change of mind' functionality, which allows the engine to restart quickly - even during its run-down phase - to allow the driver to exploit a gap in traffic.
As far as new features go, the MY14 XF boasts extended navigation system features that provide more focused and intuitive mapping, in addition to the iGO primo system, which adds a one-way road visualisation, smart keyboard and a comprehensive range of address search options.
In addition, Jaguar has added two new exterior paint choices in the form of Osmium (replacing Crystal Blue) and Dark Sapphire (replacing Indigo Blue).
The MY2014 Jaguar XF will go on sale in South Africa in November this year.