Jaguar’s success in recent years has, in part at least, been built on the outstanding sales of its XF model.

And now the XF has been given a further boost with an expansion in the choice of engines available.

So for the motorist who finds the entry-level 180ps engine is not quite quick enough for him or her but still want a car which will give them similar miles per gallon there is now a 200ps version available.

And while it might not sound too much of a jump in engine power it’s obvious from the first time you get behind the wheel that the new option is much livelier.

With this new four cylinder Ingenium engine under the bonnet this 2018 model year car will hit 62 miles per hour in just 7.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 146 miles per hour.

At the same time it promises sensible fuel consumption of 41.5mpg, which is pretty good for such a big car even if it does have a large aluminium content in its make up. Linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox it provides smooth, seamless motoring although for me this new petrol engine often sounded harsher through the gears than I would have expected from Jaguar.

Paddles behind the steering wheel allow you to change manually and by doing that and changing up quicker than the auto box that harshness disappears, so for a lot of my time with the car I did just that.

Whether you use the auto box or change gear yourself, however, once you reach your cruising speed this new XF becomes supremely quiet and cocoons you from the outside motoring world.

The new engine is also impressively flexible particularly when using the paddles. You can go from first to eighth gear and still be within the speed limit in built up areas. And when you need that extra performance in a hurry the kick-down function is quick and smooth, allowing you to get out of trouble in an instant. As with all XF. models there’s an abundance of leg room all round, with rear seat passengers able to stretch out in comfort.

The same generous space applies in the boot. Holiday luggage for an entire family is swallowed up with ease and with the power gesture boot lid fitted (£665 optional extra) it was possible to open it simply by moving my leg beneath the rear of the car when my hands were full of parcels.

For Jaguar customers wanting to personalise their car there is now an incredible choice of features available.

My test car had everything from an advanced parking assistance pack with surround camera at £2,020 to a digital television at £890 and a navigation pro pack with Meridian sound system at £1,780, pushing the overall price up from £35,235 to just under £50,000.

On the road this new engined model is a very well mannered car which sits firmly on the highway and goes exactly where you want it to no matter how hard you push it.

The ride is smooth enough to satisfy the most demanding of passengers, but then that’s exactly what we have come to expect from Jaguar.

Fast Facts

Model: Jaguar XF Prestige

Price: £35,235

Mechanical: 200ps. 1997cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine driving rear wheels via 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Max speed: 146 mph

0-62mph: 7.5 seconds

Combined mpg: 41.5

Insurance group: 30

CO2 rating: 154%

BiK rating: 29%

Warranty: 3yrs/unlimited miles