Jaguar C-XF - more than a concept car

The C-XF’s colour palette is deliberately monochromatic, mixing a one-off exterior paint – Metashine silver – with areas of brightwork in either chrome or aluminium finishes. Additionally, white ceramic is used to indicate areas of dynamic air flow or heat exchange – in this case the side power vents and tailpipes.

“The colour choice for the C-XF was very deliberate and is a key part of its overall dynamic,” says Head of Advanced Design, Julian Thomson. “We describe the effect as ‘tone on tone’ – we want people to think about the materials, the textures, and how they interact with the functions of the car.”

Thomson continues: “The tonality has a functional aspect but also extreme beauty; mechanical designs that are fit for purpose are often beautifully designed – we’ve taken our inspiration from machinery as diverse as aircraft to cameras in seeking to make the car look like it was milled from a solid piece of metal.”

INTERIOR

Design Director Ian Callum describes the cabin of the C-XF concept car as “one of the most exciting interiors Jaguar has ever done”. One glimpse of the inside of the four-seater is enough to understand why Callum has this view.

The emphasis is on tailored performance rather than pampered luxury and nowhere is that better demonstrated than in the lightweight, sculpted bucket-style front seats. Trimmed in semi-aniline leather (a specially dyed hide which ensures even colouration yet retains its softness) the seats are sports-styled yet also offer impressive comfort thanks to a deeply padded lumbar area with ventilation cavities. Twin individual bucket seats house the rear-seat passengers.

Between the seats runs a tall central transmission tunnel that gives the occupants a sense of sitting deep within a futuristic cockpit. One of the keys to any Jaguar interior is that occupants should feel as if they are enclosed in the car, not sitting on it. The C-XF’s interior cossets in just such a way, creating an inviting cabin for passengers to slip into, rather than surrounding them with bland, open space.

The ‘tone on tone’ theme that has been applied to the exterior of the C-XF has been carried through to its interior, with a sensational blend of materials, graphic elements and innovative technologies.

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