Overall rating:

The ever-popular Jaguar XF has hit middle age, but like Carol Vorderman it's about to re-emerge much better looking thanks to an on-trend restyle. Plus it's even better with numbers now, courtesy of a 2.2-litre diesel engine and eight-speed gearbox promising more miles per gallon and lower tax bills. Fleet conundrum solved.

Key Facts

Pricing: £30,950
Engine: 2.2-litre turbodiesel
Transmission: eight-speed ZF automatic, rear-wheel drive
Body style: four-door saloon
Rivals: Mercedes-Benz E 220 CDI, BMW 520d, Audi A6 2.0 TDI
CO₂ emissions: 149g/km
Combined economy: 52.3mpg
Top speed: 140mph
0-62mph: 8.5 seconds
Power: 188bhp at 3,500rpm
Torque: 332lb.ft at 2,000rpm

In the Metal:

This is one of the most impressive, complimentary facelifts we've seen. And given the aesthetic approbation lavished on the Jaguar XF as it was, you can imagine it's now a quite stunning thing in real life. The augmented grille and new headlamps are virtually facsimiled from the XJ, but they really work, giving the XF softer, classier visuals than before.

Alterations are more subtle inside, with the basic architecture unchanged but some of the switchgear re-coloured black for improved intuitiveness, and an array of new trim colours. The seats are more sculpted than the flat benches of before, too. The XF remains a lovely place to sit, with bags of character.

Driving it:

It's difficult to shake the impression that the 2.2-litre diesel engine - seen here in its third iteration after use in the Land Rover Freelander and Range Rover Evoque - is an economic necessity first and foremost. Of course, the same can be said of any small diesel in an executive car, but there's something about this slightly gruff, marginally underpowered unit that doesn't quite fit in a car that's otherwise classically refined.

Jaguar has done all kinds of moderating work on the 2.2 to try and make it suit its multi-award winning executive saloon, including new sound insulation, low friction pistons, a new camshaft and a water-cooled turbo, but it neither has the low-end kick or free-revving nature to properly fit a Jaguar's effortless remit.

The torque curve dive-bombs almost immediately after a 2,000rpm peak and the power pinnacle arrives just 1,500 revs later, so the sweet spot is very narrow. Thus, the new eight-speed automatic tends to overwork itself, which isn't too big a deal because it's quick to shift and smooth with it, but there's a noticeably large amount of gear changing all the same.

Otherwise, it's XF as was, meaning light steering and ride quality just on the firm side of supple. Now that the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 have both turned their heads towards comfort, the Jag stands out even more as an engaging and dynamically precise executive car.

What you get for your Money:

The Jag is slightly more expensive than its equivalent German rivals, but not enough to make a difference to a buyer that really wants one. Most importantly, it's six grand cheaper than the twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel version of the XF, and a whopping £12,000 below the best all-rounder of the range, the 271bhp Diesel S.

There are four trim levels: SE, Luxury, Premium Luxury and Portfolio, though the latter two are staggeringly expensive (£38,000 and £43,000 respectively), which sort of defeats the point of the whole 'let's sell more cars to fleet' thing. Still, it's your BIK bill...

Worth Noting

Jaguar claims the 2.2 diesel XF is the recipient of the world's first 'intelligent' stop-start system, which is dead clever because it can change its mind, sort of like how the Terminator learned not to mercilessly kill people after he met young John Connor. Really, it's a clever way of getting the engine to re-fuel instantly during the shutdown phase, should you release the brake once the shutting down process has started. It basically prevents unwanted, irritating engine switch-offs . Aside from that - and arguably more importantly - it's one of the quickest such systems to re-start that we've tried.

Summary

While the numbers stack up and we're sure that this engine will open up the delightful Jaguar XF to a bevy of austere executive types, it's undoubtedly the weak link in the chain; the same cannot be said of the BMW 520d. We have to admit that we expected slightly more poke and slightly less hubbub from the 2.2 diesel, although it'd be remiss to criticise it too harshly - it does the job, and it's nestled under the (now slightly more bulging) bonnet of a beautifully refreshed car. There's life in the old cat yet.