Jaguar is plugging the one weak spot in its XF line-up with the announcement that a new 2.2-litre turbodiesel model will join the range from September.

The 2.2-litre diesel engine is borrowed from the Land Rover Freelander and has 187bhp and 332lb.ft of shove to dish up 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 140mph. This puts the XF 2.2 Diesel in direct competition with the BMW 520d, which is the best selling car in the executive saloon sector.

Jaguar has published an average economy figure of 52.3mpg for the new XF and it will emit 149g/km of carbon dioxide. Helping it stay clean and lean is a new stop-start system that works in conjunction with its eight-speed automatic gearbox. The engine is designed to restart while the transmission is still coming to a halt, which means the stop-start system does not need the car to come to a complete standstill before firing up again.

Jaguar says the new XF 2.2 Diesel will be as refined as the 3.0-litre V6 model and its engineers are still honing the car ahead of its official launch at the New York Auto Show that runs from 22 April to 1 May.

The XF 2.2 Diesel is expected to cost from £29,000 when it goes on sale in the UK in September. It will also benefit from styling and trim upgrades that will be applied across the XF range for its 2012 models.

Alisdair Suttie - 31 Mar 2011