2011 Jaguar XJ Spy Shots Revealed

Jaguar XJ Concept

Spy shots and concept photos published in British publication Car (which I came across via Autopia) reveal a Jaguar XJ that has been redesigned to ensure that Jaguar ultimately meets the same fate as Volvo: obscurity and unpopularity. Abandoning the traditional makeup WHICH MADE THEM LEGENDARY – ahem, excuse me – Jaguar’s design chief Ian Callum appears to have engineered yet another interchangeably-styled luxury sedan. 2011 XJ test mules that were spotted on the test track were heavily disguised under the body work of the current model XJ saloon’s, but I’m not fooled. According to sources, the Jaguar XJ’s new design direction is a heavy crossbreeding of the Aston Martin Rapide and the Bentley Continental GT, which several auto enthusaists have heralded as a much-needed revision of the Jaguar XJ’s “outdated style.”

Sigh.

Ok. Let me break this down for you: when Ford bought Volvo in 1999 they performed the same kind of overhaul, abandoning the “turbo brick” styling. The result was a retooled Volvo that looked like little more than a high-end Ford Taurus. Now, thanks to that brilliant maneuver, Volvo’s popularity as a brand has been “put in the back on the discount rack, like another can of beans,” (to quote Billy Joel). The only motorists that are still enthusiastic about Volvo are the loyjala fanatiker like myself who remain true to the original Volvo line, manufactured from 1927 to 1999. As a matter of fact, if you ever crack open the pages of Rolling Magazine (the official publication of the Volvo Club Of America), you’ll notice a distinct lack of anything influenced by Ford.

2011 Jaguar XF Spy Photos

Like Volvo, Jaguar’s design isn’t merely an odd, “outdated” aesthetic, it’s a tradition-rich design upon which Jaguar’s legacy has been built. If it’s drastically altered to resemble yet another Bentley look-alike, you will effectively destroy the only traditional thread the Jaguar XJ had left to cling to. Granted, the entire Jaguar line has suffered a fall from popularity, but tampering with its only remaining prize-winning formula isn’t going to change that. I say to Jaguar: leave the XJ alone and focus instead on fine-tuning the two models that are already trying to embolden the mix, the Jaguar XK and the XF. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself sitting next to Volvo on the discount shelf. I hope you like beans.

2010 Jaguar XJ Pictures

2010 Jaguar XJ Sport Car

2010 Jaguar XJ Wallpaper

2010 Jaguar XJ Interior

2010 Jaguar XJ

2010 Jaguar XJ Picture

the new XJ Jag

• 
• • 

    Another Callum masterpiece . . . the new XJ Jaguar.

  • 

    
    

  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.

Jaguar, Land Rover Finally Turn Profit

If you were among the few Jaguar/Land Rover fans that wondered why Ford would sell off two brands they’d just invested millions in, congratulations, you can now tell your friend’s “I told you so.”

Having bled cash for a while prior to the sale, both companies were given new facilities and new models right before their disownment, and it would appear that investment from Ford has finally paid off as Tata has recently announced that both companies have turned a profit. Yes, you read that right, a profit. Thanks to an increase of 23% in total sales over the last quarter, Jaguar/Land Rover posted a profit of almost $5 million.

While nothing to write home about (that’ll only buy you around 50 XK’s), the profit demonstrates exactly how far the two firms have come from their darker days. Now producing vehicles that are easily the equal of competitors once thought out of reach, it’s good to finally see the buying public expressing their confidence in the two historic firms.

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.

Jaguar XKR/XFR – The Best Car Commercial Of 2009