Well, I can now confirm that a spare wheel can indeed be fitted and this is what is required.
Jaguar offer a spare wheel kit, part number T2H15711 which consists of the 18” spare wheel (a bright orange/red space saver) without a tyre but with the securing screw which screws into the bracket above the battery, together with a polystyrene tool tray that sits to the right hand side of the spare wheel well and which holds the included jack, wheel brace, chocks and screw-in towing eye. The cost of the kit is around £260 plus VAT. My dealer had one in stock that had been ordered for a customer but not used and they offered it to me at a discount price which I was happy to accept. However, the items could probably be sourced on eBay at less cost, particularly if you weren’t too fussed about having the polystyrene tool holder.
However, take care to ensure that the tyre is the correct size, namely 135/80 R18. Many of the ones for sale are either unspecified or else are the smaller 115/85 R18 which is incorrect for the XF - this is the one for the XE which uses tyres with a smaller diameter than those on the XF. For example, my XF has 225/55 R17 tyres, the equivalent tyre for the XE is 225/50 R17, and the difference in diameter is about 20mm. The diameter of the 135/80 R18 tyre matches that of the XF tyre to within a mm or two but is also 20mm larger than that of the 115/85 R18 tyre.
Theres a lot of nonsense to be found on the internet about the use of these skinny tyres, suggesting that they’re for 'emergency use' only and shouldn’t be driven for more than 50 miles. The law governing their use can be found in Articles 26 and 27 of the 1986 Construction and Use Regulations and there is no reference to the term 'emergency use' nor to any mileage limit. There is no constraint on their use other than if you exceed 50 mph you lose the derogation that allows the use in the first place of tyres different in construction or speed rating from the normal tyres on the vehicle. The Pirelli tyre I had fitted has a speed rating if M (81 mph) and a load rating of 104 (900 kg).
The only issue I’ve still to resolve is whether or not to replace the load floor. The one supplied when there is no spare wheel does not fit very well once the extra depth of the spare wheel comes into play. While it’s supported by the wheel in the middle and the tool tray on the right, the left hand side has nothing to support it and it’s inclined to wobble a bit. However the correct load floor costs an eye watering amount of over £300 plus VAT. Should you want it, the part number is GX63-47022-AE. I’ve yet to find one on eBay!
