The XJ is Jaguar’s flagship model, and, in its latest iteration, is arguably the most stylistically striking luxury car on the market today. The previous generation XJ was actually quite clever under its aluminum skin, but the staid body never got it noticed. Now, however, Jaguar appears to have completely nailed the design – this is exactly how a new-age luxury car should look!
The design certainly evokes an element of ‘wow,’ and there isn’t a single panel that can be labeled as being anything but daring. One must give credit to Jaguar’s chief of design, Ian Callum, for the way he’s incorporated Jaguar’s traditional styling cues while creating a contemporary design that looks both stylish and menacing. The front of the XJ follows Jaguar’s new design theme, but takes it up a notch with a powerful mesh grille and sleek xenon headlights that create a strong road presence. If you think the XF looks good, just sneak a peek at the flagship XJ in the flesh.
With its steeply raked roofline, the XJ has a distinct coupe-like profile that gives it an impressive drag coefficient of just .29. The blacked-out ‘C’ pillars and tinted panoramic glass roof provide a nice contrast with the body. The panoramic roof is standard on all XJ models, and enhances the sense of light and space inside. The rear is no less dramatic either, with tail lights that reach far into the bodywork – moreover, the brake lights illuminate to actually evoke the claws of a Jaguar, which might sound like a gimmick but it’s actually quite fitting. I wonder what Porsche would give to have its Panamera look more like the XJ!
And the XJ is no less impressive on the inside either, with a cabin that’s cosseting and luxurious in the traditional sense, while being high-tech and new-age in equal measure.
Soft leather adorns all of the main interior surfaces, including the seats, instrument panel, door tops, center console, and armrests. Fine grain wood sweeps forward from the rear doors, through the front doors, and converges above the center of the dashboard. It’s an interesting design element that gives the cabin a luxury yacht feel. An analog clock that looks like it was made by a luxury wristwatch maker adds character to the dashboard. Jet nozzle air vents are a nice touch as well. On the whole, it’s a very special cabin – both front and rear.
The long wheelbase XJ, which is the model available in the Indian market, is quite a large car at 5.24 meters in length, which is about the same as the very spacious A8 L we tested last month. As a result, the rear provides you with more than adequate room, and seats that make any journey enjoyable. Naturally, you get your own climate control in the rear – complete with your own chrome vents. You also have the option of a rear-seat entertainment system, but you don’t get a foot stool like you do in the A8. Overall quality of the cabin, however, is right up there with the German luxury carmakers.
At the front, the heated and cooled seats are once again very comfortable, and include a massage function – although, unlike the Audi A8, you can’t select the kind of massage you want. A twenty-speaker surround-sound system by the renowned British audio manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins provides concert hall like acoustics. It also provides you with a 30GB hard drive, Bluetooth connectivity (of course), and two USB ports – one for a pen drive, and the other for your iPod. And, like the XF, the larger XJ also features the ‘Jaguar Drive Selector,’ which is the James Bond-like rotary gear knob that rises up from the center console. Another 007 feature is what the company refers to as ‘Jaguar Sense,’ which means that to open the glove-box or turn on an interior light, you don’t so much as press a button as run your finger over a recess in the dashboard or simply make contact with the dome light that you wish to awaken.
And, instead of traditional instrument dials, the XJ features a 12.3-inch high definition screen that displays ‘virtual gauges.’ The center dial houses a speedometer, flanked on either side by a tachometer, and an information window with fuel and temperature gauges. When required, the tachometer fades to temporarily display a required warning message or menu – for instance if the fuel level is low. When the driver selects the XJ’s Dynamic mode, the dials change to a red hue, and feature a bold gear position indicator that glows red as engine speeds rise. Given the amount of information that the screen is able to display, coupled with great design, it’s only a matter of time before these sort of virtual gauges become standard in most new automobiles. The XJ has a less radical 8-inch touch-screen display in the center console that provides access to functions like climate control, audio, communications, and navigation. Plus, the car’s heated steering wheel is a nice feature to have on a cold night.
Our test car came with a 5.0 liter V8 that puts out 385hp and 515Nm of torque. This is the same engine that I previously experienced when I tested the Range Rover Sport last year. In this avatar, the motor felt much more free revving than I remembered. No doubt the XJ’s lighter weight and better aerodynamics give the engine a better platform in which to excel. The engine is smooth with low cabin noise. However, when you mash the throttle you can hear the muted burble of the 385 horses coming to life. Acceleration is brisk with the car going from a standstill to 100km/h in under 6 seconds. The XJ comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. To enhance the driving experience, the XJ features three transmission modes – normal, for a comfortable, leisurely drive; dynamic, for a more sporting and responsive character; and winter, for greater capability in low-grip conditions. I preferred keeping the car in dynamic mode where gearshift points are raised, and the suspension stiffens.
The XJ benefits from Jaguar’s active damping system that was first employed on the XF and XK models. This system automatically tailors damper settings to suit both road conditions, and the way the car is being driven. It provides a range of damping between a firmer ‘sport’ setting, and a softer setting for ride comfort – delivering an optimal balance of body control and ride quality. Depending on how the system is set up, the XJ can be a smooth riding luxury sedan or a more focused driver oriented performance vehicle. On the road, the XJ corners well in dynamic mode – however the steering does feel light. As a driver focused car, the XJ comes up a little short, both in terms of outright engine performance as well as handling. However, that’s a conscious decision on Jaguar’s part since in the world market they offer two supercharged variants of the XJ. The base supercharged variant comes with 470bhp, while the top-of-the line XJR pumps out a mammoth 510bhp. Both of those versions have additional tweaks that aid in superior handling as well.
In India, the XJ comes with two engine options – the fire breathing 5.0 liter V8 that we have here, or the equally impressive and relatively economical 3.0 liter twin-turbo V6 that we’ve tested in the XF. The question is, however, should you buy an XJ in the first place?
Well, as a piece of automotive art, it certainly stands out from the Germans – it’s a stunning luxury car. But Jaguar really has to be a lot more aggressive in India if it’s to take on the likes of BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. Purely from a product standpoint, though, the XJ is just that little bit more special than its Teutonic rivals. It feels light and agile from the driver’s seat, as well as soft and cosseting from the rear. It’s certainly a car that Jaguar founder, Sir William Lyons, would be proud of.
I suspect that Tata must still be thanking Ford for all the money they invested in the design and development of the new-age Jags – because the product is mighty impressive. This legendary British marque certainly appears to have returned to its roots of producing beautiful, stylish, fast, and coveted cars once again!
