All-aluminium XJ aims to balance tradition and technology

Jaguar has confirmed the Irish prices of its flagship XJ model, beginning at €82,000 for the 3-litre V6 Classic. At the top of the range will be the Super 8 4.2-litre V8, offering 400bhp and a 0-60 mph of 5 seconds. For this you will have to find €145,500.

Jaguar Ireland claims the entry level price offers a clear advantage over rival petrol models in the luxury end of the market. According to Gerard O'Farrell, managing director of Jaguar Ireland, the entry price "is over €8,000 less than the Mercedes S280 and some €10,000 less than the BMW 730i petrol."

The new car aims to balance both sides of the divide, offering the traditional styling of its predecessors with subtle advances in technology, necessary to compete with the likes of the BMW 7-series.

According to O'Farrell, "gone are the days when Jaguar was a relatively modest player in the luxury car market. Ten years ago Jaguar was selling fewer than 30,000 cars a year worldwide, but now it's well over 130,000 and growing."

Of the three engine sizes on offer - 3-litre, 3.5-litre and 4.2-litre - our favourite was the mid-range 3.5-litre. It offered the most enjoyable performance during our previous driving time with the car, though it does come in at €101,100.

Much has been written about the car's aluminium body structure. Yet it's nothing new for Jaguar, nor for the luxury market.

Audi has been a strong advocate of this more expensive metal and Jaguar point back to 1922 and the aluminium Swallow side-cars from which the first Jaguars evolved.

What is original about the XJ is the decision to use rivets to join the panels rather than spotwelds. Some 3,180 rivets are used in the construction of the XJ's body.

Regardless of its lineage, the new XJ body is claimed to be 60 per cent stiffer and yet 40 per cent lighter than its predecessor. This all adds up to better fuel economy and performance.

Internally it also allows for a much needed 40 per cent increase in cabin size and a 27 per cent increase in boot space.

Another feature of the XJ that has become increasingly common in the luxury market is air suspension.

The XJ comes at the end of a busy launch programme for Jaguar. In the past 12 months the Ford-owned marque, part of its Premier Automotive Group, has launched a new S-Type, the X-Type 2-litre and a revised XK.

This is the seventh generation of the all-important XJ, which was originally launched back in September 1968. In total some 800,000 cars were produced under the XJ umbrella.