As a youngster I always had a bit of a soft spot for Jaguar. This was an age for me when speed and looks were the holy grail and one without the other was like a teapot without a spout: pointless.Of course, I got older and, sadly, my cynicism grew as I realised that there’s more to building a great car than just making it beautiful and fast, and I fell a little bit out of love with the leaping cat. They were still building good cars, it’s just that their rivals were building great cars.

That all changed in 2007 and 2008 with the arrival of the revised XK and the equally sublime XF.

Jaguar desperately needed something to give the Germans - Mercedes, Audi and BMW - a scare and the XF in particular possessed the looks, the style and the quality to do just that.

Seven years later and the XF has changed very little outwardly with just a minor facelift to freshen things up a little. After all, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, as the old saying goes. It’s always been an elegant, coherent piece of design that, thanks to its subtle curves and flowing lines, manages to stand out among its boxier Teutonic rivals.

One thing you can be guaranteed of when you slide into a Jaguar is a warm welcome, and the XF is no exception.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, and it’s easy to find just the right driving position, particularly as the steering wheel also adjusts - electrically of course - for height and reach which means that there are no protestations from the lumbar region after long periods behind the wheel.

There’s plenty of legroom in the front – it’s probably what an estate agent might describe as deceptively spacious - it’s just a shame that the same can’t be said for the rear. I don’t doubt there would be stiff competition for that front seat among passengers over six feet. Headroom isn’t overly generous either, but then that’s the price you pay for such a svelte, sweeping profile and, in my opinion, it’s a bargain.

The cabin is a seamless blend of modern thinking with traditional Jaguar values, with brushed metal, carbon fibre and wood veneers all available to give the interior just the right ambience whether you’re 25 or 65. The dashboard curves elegantly around you, creating an intimate space that helps make the car feel much smaller than its five-metre length.

The seven-inch multimedia touchscreen, mounted in the centre of the dashboard, was a little unresponsive, needing more than a little force to operate, and I felt that the layout could have been simpler with larger on-screen buttons. Of course, one major issue with touchscreen operation, as opposed to physical knobs, buttons and switches, is that you have to look at it to operate it. This means that adjusting the climate control, for example, is impossible to do (safely) while on the move. The sat nav – which I found to be both reliable and idiosyncratic – as well as the excellent audio system and Bluetooth are all accessed via the touchscreen.

Ignition is keyless, although you still need to operate the remote fob to enter the vehicle so, foot on the clutch, press the start button and, with a barely discernible rumble, the 160bhp four cylinder 2.2l diesel engine bursts into life. It’s a testament to the advances in diesel engine technology - and to the excellent soundproofing - that the cabin remains such a tranquil environment even when pressing down hard with your right foot.

At this I should mention at this point the XF’s party trick. When you start the car the air vents in the dashboard rotate and the drive selector rises magically out of the centre console. It’s a real piece of theatre that alone very nearly makes the admission price worth paying.

According to official figures, 60 comes up in 9.8 seconds but the XF feels much brisker than that. In-gear acceleration feels particularly impressive, inspiring confidence when overtaking. The eight-speed auto box is ideal for cruising, the gear changes smooth and unobtrusive. That changes, of course, when the driving becomes more demanding, but it remains assured and predictable.

Fuel economy is respectable with a combined figure of 57.7mpg. Although manufacturers’ figures can, occasionally, be wildly optimistic, during my time with the car there was nothing to suggest that real world consumption would fall too far short of that target. Emissions are just 129g/km which means lucky buyers will pay just £110 in road tax. It should be noted that those laudable figures are in no small way aided by the intelligent stop-start system, which cuts the engine when at a standstill and restarts it when you take your foot off the brake. It can be a little disconcerting for anyone who hasn’t encountered the technology before but, touch walnut veneer, it’s yet to let me down.

Safety features include the obligatory airbags, front and side, as well as rather clever warning lights mounted in the door mirrors. They’re designed to alert the driver to vehicles entering the blind spot and, I have to say, they’re rather effective. I also enjoyed the benefits of intelligent high beam which, as its name suggests, automatically switches the headlights to high beam and dips them again when the system detects an approaching vehicle. Cruise control with automatic speed limiter comes as standard which means, essentially, that there’s little else for me to do other than turning the steering wheel (when appropriate, of course).

The XF feels surprisingly agile and, while I didn’t push it too hard (ahem), always felt planted with little body roll. The ride is firm, but compliant, providing just a hint of sporting intent even if the little diesel can’t quite deliver on that promise.

The boot provides 540 litres of space for your luggage (500 with a space saver fitted) or 963 litres with the rear seats folded (923) although, because of the steeply raked rear windscreen, the boot opening does restrict the size of the items you can actually carry.

This latest member of the XF family is a welcome addition, and is much needed. There are faster, more powerful and more frugal rivals, but who gazes longingly at the average fuel consumption, or waxes lyrical about the C02 emissions? Okay, so there might be someone out there – and they’re presumably wearing a dark green anorak - who is doing just that but, let’s be honest with each other here, looks matter and, compared to its rival from Mercedes, BMW and Audi, the Jag is a bit of a stunner. No anoraks allowed!

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Jaguar XF 2.2l diesel

BASE PRICE (OTR*): £35,795

PRICE AS TESTED (INC. OPTIONS): £42,985

Engine: 2.2 litre Diesel

Maximum Power: EEC PS (kW) 163 (120)

Transmission: 8-speed electronic automatic with Jaguar Sequential ShiftTM

Acceleration: 0-60 mph (0-100km/h) - sec 9.8 (10.5)

Maximum Speed: mph (km/h) 130 (209)

Urban: mpg (l/100km) 48.7 (5.8)

Extra urban: mpg (l/100km) 64.2 (4.4)

Combined: mpg (l/100km) 57.7 (4.9)

Carbon dioxide emissions: g/km 129g/km