The Jaguar XJ has always been an elegant luxury car but the latest generation of XJ promises to move the flagship saloon into a very strong position in the large executive saloon segment.
Jaguar placed a special emphasis upon agility and control during the design of the new car and this is evident in the brand new aluminium monocoque' body structure that has been integrated into the new design. This provides added chassis stiffness and weight reduction benefits and places the new car light years ahead of its predecessor. With the reduced weight and maximised stiffness, the desired effect is improved acceleration, fuel consumption and on-road dynamics. A new generation of customers has demanded more from luxury cars, with benchmarks being set by BMW, Mercedes and Lexus, amongst others. The challenge faced by Jaguar is to attain and surpass these demands without compromising the character and elegance expected from the XJ.
The tested car was the XJ 2.7D Executive variant powered by the new twin-turbo 2.7 litre V6 diesel unit, linked to a six-speed automatic gearbox. It was striking in metallic black with cream leather interior. This variant is capable of a top speed of 141 MPH with a respectable 0-60 time of 7.8 seconds, yet with these great performance figures comes excellent fuel economy around 35 MPG (combined).
The redesigned car is sleeker, more muscular, exudes power and potential and is unmistakeably an XJ. The profile, front, rear and interior of the car all retain the familiar character of its predecessor and design cues have been cleverly interpreted to make this generation instantly recognisable. The rounded moulding of key areas like the roof pillars and bonnet, the shape of the front and rear lights, the low shoulder line and the perfect arcs of the wheel arches are all signatures that have defined the car over the years. The importance of this should not be overlooked; Jaguar has spent decades honing this design and it has become an institution. The new car is a cutting edge machine beneath an updated but uniquely familiar body no mere retrospective nods here.
The cabin interior echoes the new body design, the low seating position, controls and general craftsmanship are all superb and nothing less than you would expect from a Jaguar. The control surface is aesthetically pleasing and the beautifully crafted, ergonomically positioned controls and displays adorn the dashboard. The cabin itself is modern, airy, comfortable, spacious and very relaxing.
The new car is absolutely loaded with technology including cruise control, advanced trip computer, satellite navigation and Bluetooth phone system. Safety is provided by stability and traction control, antilock braking, parking control sensors and six airbags. There are far too many other ptions to list.
Okay I'll list one more - the television in the centre of the dash. This quaint feature alone would almost entice me to buy a Jag. I take a drive almost every lunchtime, to give me a break from the office. I loved being able to watch the lunchtime news and eat my sandwich.
I had a really enjoyable week, driving the XJ. My daily commute is over fifty miles, over a wide variety of roads and I was astonished at how versatile this car was. It's no surprise that the new car is a fantastic cruiser but its agility and confidence during my various shortcuts amazed me. I've been driving these roads for years, in dozens of different cars but the big Jaguar was among the most capable. This is largely due to an adaptive suspension system combined with self levelling air suspension that work in tandem to control body roll, steering and balance. The perfect balance between the responsive high-output diesel engine and dynamic gearing ensures that power is transmitted to the wheels just at the right point. I used the car to commute, attend a variety of meetings and go shopping and I always arrived refreshed.
What Jaguar has done is simply to recognise strength in a perfect design and to make the new flagship more attractive and accessible to more individuals within a new and highly demanding market. This car is a now real contender amongst cars which change so radically between generations that consumers must sometimes question how proud some manufacturers are of their
design heritage. Jaguar XK customers are not only buying a top end, highly desirable luxury car, they are buying into a heritage that has been a joy toserious motorists for decades.
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