New Jaguar unleashed
WHILE athletic records were being shattered at the Boys and Girls Championships held at the National Stadium in St Andrew on Saturday evening, a quintessential ‘record-holder’ was being introduced to specially invited guests at the Palisadoes Raceway in Kingston.
The record-holder — the iconic Jaguar XF.
“The Jaguar is an iconic and luxurious British brand that the world has been enjoying for decades. It has won more than 100 awards. This is the Car of the Decade. This is not voted by me or my staff, but by over 100 motor journalists worldwide,” said Matthew Cripps, ATL Automotive group GM, at the all-black attire unveiling.
“The 2015 Jaguar XF is for the discerning motorist who wants to have a public image of sophistication and style in a luxurious premium brand,” he said.
After the veils were pulled from the sleek and purring ‘feline’, it stealthily made its way from the stage into the guest area for a more hands-on experience.
One of those experiencing the new Jag was David Fitton, Britain’s High Commissioner to Jamaica.
“I was just sitting inside… the smell of the leather and the electronics make you realise what’s good about British engineering. It’s got style!” Fitton told Auto.
Andrew Badaloo, ATL Automotive senior sales executive, gave Auto a ‘tour’ of the new Jag.
“The Jaguar XF has a two-litre cylinder engine with Intelligent Stop/Start that moves from 0 to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds with 240 horse power and 340Nm torque,” he said.
According to the senior sales exec, the $11.95-million, eight-speed electronic automatic transmission with Jaguar Sequential Shift allows faster, smoother gear shifts as well as manual control via paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.
“For those who are big on safety, it will be comforting to know the vehicle has eight airbags and the doors are made of pressurised steel,” he said.
An Emergency Brake Assist provides superior control, while a range of useful features come to life when required, including rain-sensing windscreen wipers and automatic Bi-function HID Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights.
“You get a car when you want to go somewhere. You get a Jaguar when you’ve arrived,” Badaloo added.
