2010 Jaguar XJ Review and Prices

Jaguar may have just been sold, but it's plowing ahead with a new flagship sedan. With brawny coupe-like styling, more power and a futuristic interior, this thoroughly modern XJ could be the crown jewel for Jaguar's new owner.

Jaguar keeps hemorrhaging red ink, so does Ford Motor Company, in part because Jaguar has been such a money pit since Ford bought the famed British automaker some 20 years ago. With Ford now desperate for cash, it's just finished the process of selling Jaguar as well as Land Rover after offloading a third British property, Aston Martin, in early 2007. Fortunately for Ford, several suitors lined up, including the new owner Tata Motors of India, part of the big Tata industrial combine. But that's another story.

Meantime, Jaguar sales keep sliding, especially in the U.S. The X-Type compact premium sedan has been a major flop here, which is why it's being dropped from the local lineup. Demand for the aged S-Type is down to a trickle, but that midrange sedan goes away in mid-2008 to make room for the new XF. The sporty XK coupes and convertibles are doing okay, but the flagship XJ sedans have been a hard sell even after their wholesale redesign just four years ago.

Critics contend the latest XJs aren't moving because they look so much like the previous-generation cars. But Jaguar realized some time ago that it was trapped by its own visual past and began searching for a new design tradition, a 21st-century take on "Jaguarness." The XF is the first fruit of that effort. The 2010 Jaguar XJ will be the second.

2010 Jaguar XJ

For a long time, worrying about Jaguar was the only sensible thing to do. While it was never exactly clear if the marque had (ever) achieved profitability, we enthusiasts were only too happy to give them the benefit of the doubt. After all, the English automaker serially gifted us with watershed designs. Sublime mechanical creatures like the E- and D-Type sports cars, as well as the curvacious Mark II and original XJ. How could we not be totally and utterly smitten? Yet somehow, the once proud automaker eventually found itself adrift in mediocrity, turning out maligned and slow-selling products with an unpleasant odor of unreliability as the money began to run dry. When the then Ford-owned brand launched headlong into its "democratization of luxury" strategy that resulted in the lamentable 2001 X-Type and serious talk of an SUV, well, we couldn't help but grow gravely concerned.

Jaguar XJ: The Hottest Cat on the Road

Jaguar XJ

I clearly remember the moment nearly one year ago when I first laid eyes on Jaguar's new XJ sedan, and felt as though I'd been impaled on some gorgeous aluminum tusk. What a fantastic looking automobile. On any aesthetic scale you'd care to calibrate—modernity, chic, formal grace, raw carnality—this thing simply obliterates the competition, just grinds their bones. Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of Bavarians.

From that moment until this week, when I finally slid behind the wheel of the company's flagship sedan, I sort of held my breath. Recent Jaguars—the XK coupe and XF sedan—have been very decent cars but always felt as if they missed greatness by a few millimeters. The 2011 XJ couldn't possibly, as a machine, live up to all this sculptured sin.

It does. Actually, it's a monster. Hugely civilized, desperately fast, drenched in high-tech amenities and executed with the kind of spirit and joie de vivre than makes the competitive German products look positively Amish, the new Jag is now the presumptive favorite in the full-size premium sedan category. Put another way: If you buy anything else you need a dog and a white cane.

Of course, Jaguar—a relatively small firm and a veritable fountain of red ink, now owned by the Indian conglomerate Tata—does not have the engineering resources of Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz. BMW probably has 100 engineers working on coin holders and glove-box dampers. The Jag doesn't offer the tomorrow tech of the Lexus LS600h hybrid. The XJ's lusty 5.0-liter V8s—naturally aspirated (385 horsepower) or supercharged (470 hp or 510 hp)—are not quite as highly evolved as BMW's twin-turbo powerplants, nor does the car offer as many forward gears as the eight-speed 7-series (the Jag has only six gears). I suppose in a five-way geek-off comparing the cars' navigation and multimedia consoles, the Jag's might not be quite as intuitive and refined.

2010 Jaguar XJ Pictures

2010 Jaguar XJ Sport Car

2010 Jaguar XJ Wallpaper

2010 Jaguar XJ Interior

2010 Jaguar XJ

2010 Jaguar XJ Picture

Review: Jaguar XJ

Jaguar XJ

There are still plenty of people who get that warm fuzzy feeling when they see an old Jag.

The brand is entwined in our national psyche with its raffish wood ’n’ leather, pipe smoking, sports jacket wearing, Britishness. Of course, all that means nothing whatsoever to luxury car buyers in the US, Europe and beyond, buyers whose purchase decisions make or break Jaguar as a credible global car maker. The famous marque was hamstrung by its own history for too long but today there’s a newfound confidence and a forward-looking agenda. Nothing illustrates this more dramatically than the latest XJ.

The XK sports coupe and the XF executive saloon were breakthrough cars for Jaguar. They married all that heritage to a more overtly modern approach. The XJ shows Jaguar spreading its wings further with a luxury saloon to challenge the sector’s leading lights. It’s a firm break from the big Jag tradition that was originated in 1968 by the original XJ. Through at least five generations of Jaguar’s flagship, the styling evolved at an arthritic snail’s pace. It reached the point where the last model, one of the most advanced luxury cars on sale at the time of its launch, looked ostensibly the same as the rusting relics that could be picked up for peanuts at any second hand car dealership. Jaguar wasn’t communicating its dynamism and relevance, but it is now.

Like its predecessor, the XJ uses all-aluminium construction which sees it tip the scales substantially lighter than steel rivals like the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class. As long as buyers don’t go wild on the options list, it should even come in weighing less than the substantially smaller Jaguar XF. This leads to major advantages in the performance, handling and efficiency departments where an important part of the luxury car battle is fought. The engines have been seen before in the XF, so we know that they’re largely outstanding. There are normally aspirated and supercharged versions of the Jaguar 5.0-litre V8, with 380bhp and 464bhp respectively. Plus Jaguar is also offering an XJ Supersport model with the supercharged engine upgraded to 503bhp. The diesel will inevitably be popular and it’s a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that yields 271bhp, with a massive 600Nm of torque thanks to its variable geometry turbos.

"Today’s XJ retains traces of what’s always made a Jaguar a Jaguar but it’s also bold and ferociously modern"

The fully independent suspension is similar to that in the XF but drivers have the option of choosing standard, Dynamic or Winter settings via the JaguarDrive rotary knob that takes the place of a conventional gear lever. These modes adjust the suspension, throttle response, gearshift speeds, stability control settings and the active differential to produce the desired results. The gearbox itself is an electronically-controlled six-speed auto complete with wheel-mounted paddle shifters which sends drive to the rear wheels on all XJ models. Jaguar is intent on this XJ being seen as a real driver’s car.

The sinewy lines of the XJ only serve to emphasise its sporting intent. The front end borrows heavily from the XF, the sharply contoured bonnet and the wire mesh grille that juts forward from the plain of the headlights giving it real presence. The car is available in standard or long wheelbase forms, with the longer car gaining 125mm and somehow managing to look even sleeker in profile. The real drama is at the rear, however, where Jaguar has gone for an elegant but bold treatment. The C-pillars are blacked out to look like an extension of the rear screen and the tail lights arch up around the rear haunches into the line of the boot lid. The fins of light within the clusters are meant to resemble a jaguar’s claws.

2010 Jaguar XJ Picture

2010 Jaguar XJ Sport Car

2010 Jaguar XJ Wallpaper

2010 Jaguar XJ Interior

2010 Jaguar XJ

2010 Jaguar XJ Picture

2010 Jaguar XJ Detail, Photo, Video, Price

Jaguar Cars tonight officially unveiled the all-new XJ car at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London.

Hosted by Jay Leno, one of the world's best-known chat show hosts and a renowned car enthusiast, the launch of the new Jaguar flagship was attended by an invited audience that included public figures, business leaders, celebrities and media.

Jaguar Cars Managing Director, Mike O'Driscoll, commented: "These are truly exciting times for us at Jaguar. The new XJ is truly beautiful, exhilarating to drive, and with its bold, enlightened approach to design, it meets the challenges of our fast-changing world. It re-imagines the ultimate sporting luxury car."

The all-new XJ is available to order now (dependent on market), with the first customers due to receive their cars in early 2010. Prices start at £52,500 for the standard wheelbase 3.0-litre V6 diesel luxury.

Sleek, sporting and sophisticated, the all-new Jaguar XJ brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury - it offers a seductive mix of striking design, breathtaking performance and engineering without compromise.

Building on the success of the new XK and XF models, the introduction of the all-new XJ is a landmark for the revitalised Jaguar brand. Clearly positioned as the company's four-door flagship, it extends the appeal of the XJ to a new generation of customers.

"The new XJ is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the quintessential Jaguar. Its visual impact stems from the elongated teardrop shape of the car's side windows, that powerful stance and its wide track. It is the most emphatic statement yet of Jaguar's new design direction", said Ian Callum, Design Director, Jaguar Cars.

An innovative new panoramic glass roof is an integral part of the all-new XJ's design concept, enabling the car to have a lower, more streamlined roofline, while dramatically enhancing the feeling of light and space inside.

Standard- and long-wheelbase models are available from launch. The long-wheelbase offers an even more sumptuous and refined environment for rear-seat passengers with an additional 125mm of legroom. Whichever the wheelbase, the XJ's 520-litre boot can swallow two large suitcases side-by-side.

The all-new XJ's cabin is a marvel in its own right, blending elegant, contemporary design with the comfort, luxury and unmistakable sporting style of a Jaguar. Chrome and piano black detailing provide an eye-catching contrast to the beautifully-crafted leather and veneer surfaces.

To complement the all-new cabin design is a level of choice in colours, veneers and leathers not seen before in a Jaguar. Three specification levels - Luxury, Premium Luxury and Portfolio - allow the customer to tailor the car to suit their tastes. Beyond this are the Supercharged and the top-of-the-range Supersport, the latter providing the ultimate expression of performance and luxury, with a specification that includes a leather roof-lining, semi-aniline leather seats and veneers with laser inlays.

All of Jaguar's acclaimed new ultra-efficient Gen III petrol and diesel engines will be available in the XJ. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel, 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 and 5.0-litre supercharged V8 have already proved their breadth of ability, and they are joined by a 470 horsepower version of the supercharged engine. Fuel economy and emissions are also outstanding, with the diesel-powered XJ returning combined economy figures of 40.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 184g/km.

Proven Jaguar dynamic technologies are taken to new levels in the all-new XJ. Features such as air suspension, Adaptive Dynamics (continuously variable damping), Active Differential Control and quick-ratio power steering deliver the blend of responsive, dynamic handling and refined, supple ride expected from a Jaguar.

Inside the car, advanced new technologies have allowed Jaguar's designers to create an environment more akin to a state-of-the-art living space than a simple car cabin. Stunning, 12.3-inch high-definition Virtual Instruments complement an innovative, Dual-View technology 8-inch Touch-screen that can project DVD movies or television programmes to the passenger while the driver views vehicle functions or follows satellite navigation.

Premium surround sound options include the top-of-the-range 1200W Bowers & Wilkins system, which is comparable in audio quality to the best in-home entertainment. Advanced infotainment features also include hard drive-based audio and navigation systems, and comprehensive connectivity for portable audio and video devices via the powerful Media Hub.

The all-new XJ also takes a new approach to sustainable motoring. Constructed using Jaguar's aerospace-inspired aluminium body technology, the XJ is lighter than its rivals by at least 150kg which significantly improves performance, handling and economy, while delivering increased strength, refinement and safety.

The lightweight aluminium structure - with 50 percent recycled material - underpinned by a lifecycle approach to vehicle design and manufacture, enables the new XJ to minimise its carbon footprint. This alone creates a potential saving of three tonnes of CO2 per vehicle, compared to a bodyshell made from new aluminium.

The all-new XJ offers extremely attractive cost of ownership with impressive fuel economy and emissions performance across the range; high predicted residual values and 15,000-mile service intervals. These benefits are just some of the results of Jaguar's obsessive attention to detail during product development. Processes such as the use of the latest ‘virtual' technologies to implement 40,000 quality-specific assessments are one of the reasons that the Jaguar brand has received numerous recognitions for vehicle quality.

To register interest in the all-new XJ, customers should visit: www.jaguar.com/allnewxj.


UK on-the-road price:

Model
Standard Wheelbase
Long Wheelbase


XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel Luxury
£52,500
£55,500

XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel Premium Luxury
£55,900
£58,900

XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel Portfolio
£62,900
£65,900

XJ 5.0 n/a V8 Petrol Premium Luxury
£62,900
£65,900

XJ 5.0 n/a V8 Petrol Portfolio
£69,900
£72,900

XJ 5.0 s/c V8 Petrol Supersport
£85,000
£88,000