First Drive: 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged

Slide into the cockpit, and immediately your eyes are drawn to the keyless start/stop button on the center console: It's beating a rhythmic red, as if the XF is coming alive. Press it, and the supercharged 4.2-liter V-8 twists into a muted whir, concealed air vents in the dash glide open, an innovative rotary shift knob -- the so-called JaguarDrive Selector -- rises out of the transmission tunnel. You've just witnessed "the Jaguar handshake," the first of several servings of pizzazz that differentiate this striking new four-door from such classmates as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW 5 Series.

"You may recognize the grille as being inspired by the original 1968 Jag XJ," says Ian Callum, director of Jaguar design. Then his voice grows almost stern. "But the XF is not a retro car." Quite the opposite, in fact. "We need to attract buyers in their 30s and 40s," admits Mike O'Driscoll, Jaguar's managing director. "The XF is an overtly expressive automobile; it's designed to make you smile. And its success is critical to the future of Jaguar Cars."

Make no styling judgments until you've seen the XF in person. Distinctive as it may look in photos, in the metal the XF radiates a modernity and sexiness that simply don't translate to the printed page. The current XJ8 -- admittedly a considerably larger and more traditional sedan -- appears positively baroque in comparison.