The Jaguar XJ

Jaguar XJ

According to Mike O’Driscoll, the Supersport version of the long-awaited new Jaguar XJ large luxury saloon has an ability denied to any other car on earth. “It’s fantastic,” he says, fixing me with a messianic gaze. “It can get out of its own way really, really quickly.”

I retire to a quiet, darkened room to think that one over and ponder whether Jaguar’s MD has been watching too much Dr Who. And then, a few hours later, I drive the car and come to understand why he is thumping the tub about the company’s new flagship quite so enthusiastically.

It is hard to overstate the importance of the XJ to Jaguar as the company accelerates away from its long reliance on an admittedly proud past, toward a future which O’Driscoll and his design chief Ian Callum are determined will see it once again recognised as a design and technology leader.

It had travelled a long way down that road even before the arrival of the XJ, which will be in showrooms soon. The S-type, conceived under Ford ownership and with styling harking back to Jaguars of the 1960s, was replaced several years ago by Callum’s ultra-modern XF mid-sized executive saloon, which many now rate above its BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class rivals. The unsuccessful X-Type “small” Jaguar – based on Ford’s mundane Mondeo underpinnings – has been dropped, in line with Jaguar’s determination to elevate itself ever further upmarket. The latest Callum-designed XK sports coupés and convertibles will race at Le Mans this year, and have won respect for quality and performance worldwide. Denials of plans for a smaller, lighter, outright sports car – the real stuff of Jaguar legend – carry all the conviction of MPs’ rationalisations of their expenses.

The New Jaguar XJ

Jaguar launched Jaguar XJ last night the new admiral ship during an event presented by Jay Leno.

New Jaguar XJ

The communication leaders wanted to emphasize that the XJ Jaguar will set new standards in the luxury, a model in which the British automaker puts great hopes. The new model is impressive at first sight and if the outside part view reminds us of XF models, the back view comes with a completely original style for the British automaker.

The aluminum body helps the car to be lighter by about 331 pounds compared to its main competitors, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are those that have benefited from this advantage. Low weight and together with over 50% of recyclable materials help the economy of 6614 pounds of CO2 for each vehicle.

The technical part comes with Jaguar Adaptive Dynamics and an air suspension system, Active Differential Control and a range of engines consisting of a V6 3.0-liter diesel engine, a V8 engine with 385 HP, and two versions of its supercharged engine of 470 HP and 510 HP. The transmission is ensured by an automatic six-speed ZF gearbox.

New Jaguar XJ

Salesman Tony Martin has been selling prestige cars for the best part of a quarter of a century, writes motoring editor Peter Carroll.

“Porsches, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Aston Martins – I’ve sold them all in my time,” he says.

“But I have never been as excited about a new car as I am about this one…”

Tony, senior sales executive at Stratstone’s dealership in Wolverhampton, is talking about the impending arrival of the new Jaguar XJ.

In a few weeks’ time this car will take its place as the new flagship of the Big Cat brand – and Tony and his colleagues cannot wait to start selling it.

With prices starting at around £53,000, Stratstone staff have already taken a dozen orders from customers who have yet to drive the vehicle.

the new XJ Jag

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    Another Callum masterpiece . . . the new XJ Jaguar.

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  Another Callum masterpiece . . . the new XJ Jaguar.

Look no farther than the current super-sleek Jaguar XK sports coupe and the forthcoming new XJ luxury saloon, though that name is debatable because Jag’s new flagship XJ looks more like a GT car.

It was intentional because Callum wanted to get right away from the classical Jaguar look and move the brand into the 21st century.

First impressions would seem to indicate that he has achieved his intention.

The new XJ, due mid next year and priced from $193,800 for the twin turbo 3.0-litre V6, is a stunner from any angle and will undoubtedly spawn styling trends that will be used by other makers.

Scanning the long, svelte lines leaves you in no doubt about the potency of this large saloon car. It starts with the imposing, aggressive looking front with a deep grille, steeply raked screen, glass roof that seems to meld into the top of the screen, large doors with small window openings, fast back roof that ends at the tail of the car and those “Bentley” cats claw tail lights - wow.

And under the bonnet is an arsenal of Jag’s latest power plants ranging from the 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 that’s good for a whopping 600Nm of torque and three versions of Jaguar’s 5.0-litre direct injection petrol V8, one naturally aspirated and two supercharged. The top engine has 375kW/625Nm output and can still return as good as 12.1 litres/100km fuel economy. It is capable of pushing the XJ Supersport model from 0-100km/h in a scant 4.9 seconds - not bad for a car that weighs in at 1915kg and has just about every luxury feature known to man.

Jaguar's all-new XJ unveiled in Qatar

Jaguar's all-new XJ unveiled in Qatar.

Jaguar, one of the world's most renowned luxury car manufacturers, in alliance with its Importer partner in Qatar, Alfardan Premier Motors, held an exclusive preview to showcase the market debut of its new flagship - the all-new XJ.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 globally and in the Middle East, 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.

Robin Colgan, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Middle East and North Africa said, "We are very excited about our All-New flagship which sets benchmarks in terms of design, performance and engineering. Jaguar customers in Qatar look for luxury, individuality and performance and we're certain the flagship XJ, which is truly beautiful and exhilarating to drive, will enjoy success here, just like the XK and XF."

Powered by the 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 and 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engines; the All-New XJ is available in standard and long-wheelbase models with four specification levels for the cabin - Luxury, Premium Luxury, Portfolio and Supersport - allowing the customer to tailor the car to suit their tastes of choice in colours, veneers and leathers not seen before in a Jaguar.

The All-New XJ offers extremely attractive cost of ownership with impressive fuel economy and emissions performance across the range. The car will be available in showrooms across Qatar from Q2 2010.

2010 Jaguar XJ officially unveiled

Last night, at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, the 2010 Jaguar XJ was officially revealed, during an event hosted by Jay Leno. And oh boy, it looks amazing. Following the acclaimed XF, Jaguar’s new flagship’s design is a mixture of sporty and elegance, with a very aggressive front part and a very stylish rear part. 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.”

Beside an innovative panoramic roof which enhances the feeling of light and space inside, the new XJ’s interior features a choice of colors, veneers and leathers which the British carmaker says it has never been seen before in a Jaguar. Customers will be able to choose between five trim levels, Luxury, Premium Luxury, Portfolio, Supercharged and top-of-the-line Supersport, which includes leather roof-lining, , semi-aniline leather seats and veneers with laser inlays. Interior highlights include 1200W Bowers&Wilkins audio system, 12.3 inch high-definition Virtual Instruments and Dual-View technology 8-inch touchscreen that can project DVD movies or TV programmes to the passenger while the driver views vehicle info or the satellite navigation.

Under the hood, the 2010 Jaguar XJ will come with the company’s ultra-efficient Gen III petrol and diesel engines, including the 3.0-litre V6 diesel, the 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8, the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 and a 470 horsepower version of the latter one. According to Jaguar, the diesel-powered XJ returns combined economy figures of 40.1 mpg and CO2 emissions of 184g/km.