diff --git a/include/xtensor/core/xfunction.hpp b/include/xtensor/core/xfunction.hpp
index 8f85892fb..200a35d47 100644
--- a/include/xtensor/core/xfunction.hpp
+++ b/include/xtensor/core/xfunction.hpp
@@ -355,24 +355,6 @@ namespace xt
 
     private:
 
-        template <std::size_t... I>
-        layout_type layout_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>) const noexcept;
-
-        template <std::size_t... I, class... Args>
-        const_reference access_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, Args... args) const;
-
-        template <std::size_t... I, class... Args>
-        const_reference unchecked_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, Args... args) const;
-
-        template <std::size_t... I, class It>
-        const_reference element_access_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, It first, It last) const;
-
-        template <std::size_t... I>
-        const_reference data_element_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, size_type i) const;
-
-        template <class align, class requested_type, std::size_t N, std::size_t... I>
-        auto load_simd_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, size_type i) const;
-
         template <class Func, std::size_t... I>
         const_stepper build_stepper(Func&& f, std::index_sequence<I...>) const noexcept;
 
@@ -437,9 +419,6 @@ namespace xt
 
         using data_type = std::tuple<decltype(xt::linear_begin(std::declval<const std::decay_t<CT>>()))...>;
 
-        template <std::size_t... I>
-        reference deref_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>) const;
-
         template <std::size_t... I>
         difference_type
         tuple_max_diff(std::index_sequence<I...>, const data_type& lhs, const data_type& rhs) const;
@@ -500,12 +479,6 @@ namespace xt
 
     private:
 
-        template <std::size_t... I>
-        reference deref_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>) const;
-
-        template <class T, std::size_t... I>
-        simd_return_type<T> step_simd_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>);
-
         const xfunction_type* p_f;
         std::tuple<typename std::decay_t<CT>::const_stepper...> m_st;
     };
@@ -593,7 +566,13 @@ namespace xt
     template <class F, class... CT>
     inline layout_type xfunction<F, CT...>::layout() const noexcept
     {
-        return layout_impl(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>());
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... e)
+            {
+                return compute_layout(e.layout()...);
+            },
+            m_e
+        );
     }
 
     template <class F, class... CT>
@@ -628,7 +607,16 @@ namespace xt
     {
         // The static cast prevents the compiler from instantiating the template methods with signed integers,
         // leading to warning about signed/unsigned conversions in the deeper layers of the access methods
-        return access_impl(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>(), static_cast<size_type>(args)...);
+
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... e)
+            {
+                XTENSOR_TRY(check_index(shape(), args...));
+                XTENSOR_CHECK_DIMENSION(shape(), args...);
+                return m_f(e(args...)...);
+            },
+            m_e
+        );
     }
 
     /**
@@ -643,7 +631,13 @@ namespace xt
     template <class F, class... CT>
     inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::flat(size_type index) const -> const_reference
     {
-        return data_element_impl(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>(), index);
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... e)
+            {
+                return m_f(e.data_element(index)...);
+            },
+            m_e
+        );
     }
 
     /**
@@ -671,7 +665,13 @@ namespace xt
     {
         // The static cast prevents the compiler from instantiating the template methods with signed integers,
         // leading to warning about signed/unsigned conversions in the deeper layers of the access methods
-        return unchecked_impl(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>(), static_cast<size_type>(args)...);
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](const auto&... e)
+            {
+                return m_f(e.unchecked(static_cast<size_type>(args)...)...);
+            },
+            m_e
+        );
     }
 
     /**
@@ -685,7 +685,14 @@ namespace xt
     template <class It>
     inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::element(It first, It last) const -> const_reference
     {
-        return element_access_impl(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>(), first, last);
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... e)
+            {
+                XTENSOR_TRY(check_element_index(shape(), first, last));
+                return m_f(e.element(first, last)...);
+            },
+            m_e
+        );
     }
 
     //@}
@@ -819,7 +826,13 @@ namespace xt
     template <class F, class... CT>
     inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::data_element(size_type i) const -> const_reference
     {
-        return data_element_impl(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>(), i);
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... e)
+            {
+                return m_f(e.data_element(i)...);
+            },
+            m_e
+        );
     }
 
     template <class F, class... CT>
@@ -833,7 +846,13 @@ namespace xt
     template <class align, class requested_type, std::size_t N>
     inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::load_simd(size_type i) const -> simd_return_type<requested_type>
     {
-        return load_simd_impl<align, requested_type, N>(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>(), i);
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... e)
+            {
+                return m_f.simd_apply((e.template load_simd<align, requested_type>(i))...);
+            },
+            m_e
+        );
     }
 
     template <class F, class... CT>
@@ -848,55 +867,6 @@ namespace xt
         return m_f;
     }
 
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <std::size_t... I>
-    inline layout_type xfunction<F, CT...>::layout_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>) const noexcept
-    {
-        return compute_layout(std::get<I>(m_e).layout()...);
-    }
-
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <std::size_t... I, class... Args>
-    inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::access_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, Args... args) const
-        -> const_reference
-    {
-        XTENSOR_TRY(check_index(shape(), args...));
-        XTENSOR_CHECK_DIMENSION(shape(), args...);
-        return m_f(std::get<I>(m_e)(args...)...);
-    }
-
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <std::size_t... I, class... Args>
-    inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::unchecked_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, Args... args) const
-        -> const_reference
-    {
-        return m_f(std::get<I>(m_e).unchecked(args...)...);
-    }
-
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <std::size_t... I, class It>
-    inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::element_access_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, It first, It last) const
-        -> const_reference
-    {
-        XTENSOR_TRY(check_element_index(shape(), first, last));
-        return m_f((std::get<I>(m_e).element(first, last))...);
-    }
-
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <std::size_t... I>
-    inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::data_element_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, size_type i) const
-        -> const_reference
-    {
-        return m_f((std::get<I>(m_e).data_element(i))...);
-    }
-
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <class align, class requested_type, std::size_t N, std::size_t... I>
-    inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::load_simd_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>, size_type i) const
-    {
-        return m_f.simd_apply((std::get<I>(m_e).template load_simd<align, requested_type>(i))...);
-    }
-
     template <class F, class... CT>
     template <class Func, std::size_t... I>
     inline auto xfunction<F, CT...>::build_stepper(Func&& f, std::index_sequence<I...>) const noexcept
@@ -987,7 +957,13 @@ namespace xt
     template <class F, class... CT>
     inline auto xfunction_iterator<F, CT...>::operator*() const -> reference
     {
-        return deref_impl(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>());
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... it)
+            {
+                return (p_f->m_f)(*it...);
+            },
+            m_it
+        );
     }
 
     template <class F, class... CT>
@@ -1010,13 +986,6 @@ namespace xt
         return std::get<index>(m_it) < std::get<index>(rhs.m_it);
     }
 
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <std::size_t... I>
-    inline auto xfunction_iterator<F, CT...>::deref_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>) const -> reference
-    {
-        return (p_f->m_f)(*std::get<I>(m_it)...);
-    }
-
     template <class F, class... CT>
     template <std::size_t... I>
     inline auto xfunction_iterator<F, CT...>::tuple_max_diff(
@@ -1140,28 +1109,26 @@ namespace xt
     template <class F, class... CT>
     inline auto xfunction_stepper<F, CT...>::operator*() const -> reference
     {
-        return deref_impl(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>());
-    }
-
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <std::size_t... I>
-    inline auto xfunction_stepper<F, CT...>::deref_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>) const -> reference
-    {
-        return (p_f->m_f)(*std::get<I>(m_st)...);
-    }
-
-    template <class F, class... CT>
-    template <class T, std::size_t... I>
-    inline auto xfunction_stepper<F, CT...>::step_simd_impl(std::index_sequence<I...>) -> simd_return_type<T>
-    {
-        return (p_f->m_f.simd_apply)(std::get<I>(m_st).template step_simd<T>()...);
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... e)
+            {
+                return (p_f->m_f)(*e...);
+            },
+            m_st
+        );
     }
 
     template <class F, class... CT>
     template <class T>
     inline auto xfunction_stepper<F, CT...>::step_simd() -> simd_return_type<T>
     {
-        return step_simd_impl<T>(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(CT)>());
+        return std::apply(
+            [&](auto&... st)
+            {
+                return (p_f->m_f.simd_apply)(st.template step_simd<T>()...);
+            },
+            m_st
+        );
     }
 
     template <class F, class... CT>