The XJ is the Jaguar for a new generation, writes MICHAEL McALEER, a radical revamp that's as sporty to drive as it looks
IF YOU’VE HARBOURED any doubts about Jaguars intention to revolutionise the brand, one look at the new XJ will assure you that the old guard has been well and truly ousted.
Monocles and three-piece tweed suits are out; open-necked shirts and Tom Ford suits are in. There's a new generation at the helm, taking their cues from the world of London fashion week and GQ rather than the country club and Horse & Hound.
The radical reimaging of the brand was heralded with the eyecatching XF, bringing an end to decades of retro design that harked back to the 1960s, when it was the motoring icon of the swinging sixties. Jaguar’s problem is that it got stuck – and its most vociferous advocates were those whose heydays coincided with the brand’s.
The answer was obvious: Jaguar desperately needed to connect with a new generation – or risk following its loyal fans into retirement and beyond.
The new look may be a radical departure from previous versions of the XJ, but from many angles it works. The aggressive front grille is really striking, while the side profile boasts coupé lines.
Normally, that would mean a serious incursion into rear headroom but that’s no problem in the new XJ as the roof doesn’t begin to taper off until after the rear seats. It does, however, mean prominent rear pillars, before a bulbous boot. And it’s here things become a little disconcerting.
Rear styling does lend itself to sleeker coupé lines, but the mass of metal out back, interrupted only by the leaping Jaguar symbol, is a love or hate feature.
For us, it’s just too boxy – the weakest part of the car’s design. It looks unfinished, as if missing a crease or a touch of chrome. It’s even more of a disappointment because the front of the car is so strikingly good-looking.
If the exterior styling is not a surefire hit, the interior is a straightforward success. At night, the chrome sparkles in the phosphorous blue lighting and the cabin has a real sense of occasion and opulence that’s lacking in many rivals.
Bypassing the turn-and-click dial systems stubbornly favoured by the German brands, Jaguar’s decision to opt for touchscreen controls seems increasingly in tune with the world of smart phones and iPads, whereas the systems from Audi, Mercedes and BMW hark back to the point-and-click technology of the computer mouse.
The centre console touchscreen boasts a dualview system first unveiled on sister brand, Range Rover. Through the use of special pixel technology, the screen shows the passenger a movie while the driver sees only the sat-nav map on the same screen. It entirely depends on what angle you are at.
As with all flagship luxury models, there’s the usual array of comfort features, like massaging seats, from an options list to tailor the car to your every whim.
Noise refinement in the cabin is very impressive, with little engine or wind noise invading. And for those who don’t seek the silence, there’s a new Bowers and Wilkins stereo fitted in 400-, 600- or 1,200-watt format, with up to 20 speakers. With the 1,200-watt system we tested on a windswept country road, you could hear the tinny scrape of brushes on the edge of the snare drum in a Diana Krall number.
For all the glamour and luxury, our criticism of the XJ isn’t confined to the boot lid. Of more fundamental importance is the ride. Where one expects luxury flagship models to waft along majestically, Jaguar has tuned the XJ to be a driver’s car, but on badly surfaced roads it can offer a rough ride, compared to rivals.
It’s further stiffened if you switch on the sports mode that improves throttle and handling response, and there is a winter mode that prevents wheelspin on snow or ice, but they should have added a comfort setting, for those who want to wallow.
It’s never harsh, but there are vibrations on the floorpan that can be felt in your lower legs, even if they never work their way through the seats. In an effort to please the driver, they may have annoyed the other occupants.
Another gripe we have is with the range-topping 5-litre supercharged version. If the XJ is meant to be a driver’s car, this is supposedly the posterboy. Yet it felt skittish on admittedly greasy road surfaces after a downpour.
While it packs a phenomenal straightline punch, the rear tyres seemed unable to transfer the meaty power for the 5-litre V8’s 500bhp onto the road without wheelspin, even when already travelling at 60km/h. The end result was a big car that becomes tail-happy when exiting bends. Kick the power down too early exiting a turn and the XJ offers up a dose of oversteer. That’s great fun in a sports car, but a little unnerving in a 5.3-metre long luxury saloon.
So the supercharged version is probably not the hit that Jaguar hoped, but there’s good news for those who fancy the new XJ: the 3-litre diesel is such a sweet performer that, unless you like drag racing, it’s the best engine on offer. It feels far more poised on tight and twisting roads. It’s the real star in the new XJ story.
Its low-end torque is very impressive, its relatively low emissions a real attraction and the smooth delivery of power is poised, but also surprisingly potent. For a car of its size to manage 100km/h from a standstill in 6.6 seconds and still deliver an official fuel figure of 7l/100km (40.1 mpg) is a real credit to the engineers involved.
But the best news of all is the price. The new XJ enters the market in Luxury specification at €86,090, less than the entry-level S-Class and several thousand below rivals from BMW or Lexus.
On balance, Jaguar has finally created a car that can offer a real serious challenge to the German brands. While the styling at the rear evokes more hmm than hurray, the rest of the elements come together to make the XJ appealing to people who wouldn’t previously consider themselves old enough to own one. The big cat is truly back.
XF price drop
With prices falling on rivals like the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series, Jaguar has followed suit with a price drop for its XF range. The 3.0-litre diesel in luxury specification now starts at €51,995 for the 240bhp version, while the 3.0-litre petrol is at €49,995, although it does fall into the highest tax bracket.
FACTFILE: Jaguar XJ
Engines:2,993cc V6 diesel, 271bhp, 600Nm of torque; 5,000cc V8 petrol, 380bhp, 515Nm of torque; 5000cc V8 supercharged engine, 503bhp, 625Nm of torque
Emissions, tax:3.0D V6 – 184g/km (band E, €630), 5.0 V8 petrol – 264g/km (band G, €2,100); 5.0 V8 supercharged petrol – 289g/km (band G, €2,100)
Specifications:6-speed automatic, dynamic stability control, Jaguar Drive control, 19" alloys, bi-xenon headlights, electric blinds, walnut wood veneer, interior mood lighting, sat-nav with 8" HD touchscreen, virtual instrumentation display;
Premium luxury adds:metallic paint, burr walnut veneer, keyless entry, front and rear park assist; Portfolio adds: air-conditioned front seats with heating, cooling and massage functions, heated steering wheel, 20" alloys, adaptive front headlights, reverse parking camera, four-zone air-con
Prices:3.0D Luxury - €86,090; 3.0D Premium Luxury – €91,635; 3.0D Portfolio – €103,060; 5.0 V8 Premium Luxury – €113,985; 5.0 V8 Portfolio – €126,665; 5.0 V8 SC Supersport – €154,015
On sale now, with deliveries starting in May