JAGUAR has sliced the price of entry to its range to $68,900 in Australia with the introduction of an affordable 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine option on its best seller, the XF sedan.

Available in two equipment levels – Luxury and Premium Luxury – the Ford-supplied 177kW engine has been given the task of replacing the normally aspirated 3.0-litre V6 in the XF for the 2013 model year.

On paper, the 2.0 i4 – or ‘EcoBoost’ in Ford-speak – shapes up well against the V6, with slightly more power and torque and considerably better fuel consumption.

But the question is: How does it shape up in the real world, hauling a car heavier than the Ford Falcon around hilly roads?