Cats on the course

Jaguar’s Art of Performance event showed off the prowess of the British carmaker’s machines in extraordinary situations

September 19, 2017 04:10 pm | Updated 04:10 pm IST

Think Jaguar and you’d be forgiven for imagining a cocoon of understated luxury, covered in plush leather and oozing British elegance. Indeed, that is one side of the story. But on an overcast morning last week, in the open expanse of Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Limited, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, our order of business was to experience another side of the carmaker’s line-up at the event aptly titled ‘The Art of Performance’.

Quick start

On display were the entry-level XE, the luxurious XF and the flagship XJ sedans and the hulking F-Pace SUV. Crouched low off to one side was the F-Type Convertible, sporting the iconic British Racing Green paintjob, its snarls filling the air every time it took off down the airstrip to show off its pace.

Jaguar wanted us to test out the dynamics of the cars, and had set up a slalom course to put them through their paces. While the number of drivers and the nature of the event didn’t give us enough time to soak in the design and tinker with settings and modes as much as we’d have liked, the 2-litre, 240hp petrol engine under the hood of the XF rocketed off the line with a muted growl barely heard in the cabin. As we proceeded to throw the car around the cones on the course, the big sedan held its line effortlessly, the steering precise and direct, and letting us know exactly where the wheels were pointing.

We jumped into the smaller XE. Smaller though it may be, the engine in the car we drove was the same as the bigger XF. This, combined with the smaller and lighter body, made the car a hoot on the course. The XE changes direction with a catlike speed befitting its name, and the tighter dynamics gave us enough confidence to make its tyres squeal a little around the cones.

Middle order

Then came the time to take the big cat around the course. The F-Pace is bigger and higher than the sedans, but it also has a larger engine to show for it. The one we got our hands on was the 3-litre V6 R Sport variant, churning out 296 horses. With the sporty underpinnings and a high-performance engine in an SUV frame, we weren’t sure what to expect, but the moment we pushed the pedal, the speed (projected on to the windshield in front of the driver by a Heads Up Display) started climbing and didn’t let up. Each turn the F-Pace took around the cones threw about the occupants, but the vehicle itself handled body roll much better than initially expected of a 2.5-tonne SUV.

The XE and XF returned for the safety demonstration that followed, which required us to accelerate straight to a set of cones before throwing the car around them and slamming the brakes to simulate an emergency evasive manoeuvre. Having already experienced the driving dynamics of the XE and XF, we were more interested in the other entrant in the line-up, the uber-luxury XJ in its long-wheelbase avatar, spanning a massive 5.2 metres in length.

In a country of sub-4-metre cars, the XJ makes a statement, and simulating evasive action in this wood and leather-lined behemoth was something we were eager to try. Even while navigating the XJ to our mark, the car felt surprisingly manageable. Sure, you have to account for its super-sized dimensions while turning, but the XJ feels as smooth and refined as you would expect of Jaguar’s ultimate sedan as it floats across tarmac. While whipping the XJ around and braking manically felt almost like sacrilege, the car handled the ordeal in a very composed manner, ABS and stability systems kicking in to the point where it almost felt anti-climactic.

Quite the finish

Ending the event was the F-Type R Convertible, and we jumped into the British Racing Green version, lining up at the start of the long runway that would be its playground for a straight sprint. With the mode set to Dynamic, the only thing left to do was to floor the accelerator, and get pushed back in the seat as the 5-litre V8 put down 550hp to the tarmac. The growl of the car, so loud from outside, felt muted as our eyes stayed glued between the cones on either side, the F-Type blasting down the runway as if about to take off. As the speedometer snaked past the 240kmph mark, the inside of the cabin felt almost calm, even with the engine pulling away manically. As we finally crossed into the designated slow down zone and tested the brakes, the calm confidence they inspired was reassuring, especially in a car capable of speeds like this. They’re no super high-tech carbon-ceramic affair, but they slow down the F-Type with no fuss whatsoever. We ended just as quickly as we’d begun, our inner petrol-head left satisfied. But just for today.

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