FOUR COUNTRIES, 816 MILES, ONE TANK

816 miles is an impressive distance, but even more impressive is in a new 2012 Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel, it can be done on one tank of fuel, writes Andy Whyman, Jaguar XF Chief Program Engineer.

Here in the UK, the fuel‑sipping capabilities of our brand new XF 2.2 have just been put to the test with a drive from the Jaguar Castle Bromwich plant, where the XF is built, to Munich in Southern Germany.

With David Madgwick, an independent car tester behind the wheel, and his brother Alexander doing the navigating, the XF 2.2 covered exactly 816 miles on a single tankful.

That works out at a hugely‑impressive 47.5 mpg in US gallons.

We wanted this to represent real‑world driving, so rather than hyper‑miling at a constant speed on the motorway, the Madgwicks passed through four countries taking in a mix of winding country roads, motorways and dense urban traffic.

At this time, the combination of consumer and regulatory dynamics do not support us bringing diesel powertrains, like this new XF 2.2 to North America, but here in Europe, this new XF is a vitally important addition to the Jaguar line‑up.

The all‑new 2.2‑liter powering the car is simply the most efficient Jaguar engine ever and a marvel of modern engineering. It’s a four‑cylinder, 16‑valve common rail diesel with an advanced water‑cooled turbocharger, low‑friction pistons, new injectors and optimized crankshaft.

To improve its fuel efficiency even further, we’ve mated the engine to the very latest ZF eight‑speed automatic transmission and developed a new intelligent Stop‑Start system.

The result is a combined daily commuting economy figure in excess of 41mpg (US) and CO2 emissions – a measurement that’s extremely important to European buyers – of just 149 g/km.

Yet despite its keen focus on fuel economy, this new XF 2.2 is a lot of fun to drive and, as you’d expect of a Jaguar, is exceptionally quiet, smooth and refined. The 2012 XF has also received significant changes to the exterior and interior of the car, emphasizing the bold and assertive stance.

With an impressive 332 lbs‑ft of torque available, and the quick‑changing response of that new 8‑speed automatic, the XF 2.2 can sprint from rest to 62 mph in just 8.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of 140 mph.

Our entire Jaguar development team is extremely proud of what’s been accomplished with the new XF 2.2. And with a gallon of diesel in the UK costing roughly the equivalent of $8.30, you can see why we think our new XF 2.2 might just be a big hit in Europe.