JAGUAR XJ REVIEW

JAGUAR XJ " THE ULTIMATE RIDING EVER BY A SEDAN"

The first car badged Jaguar XJ appeared in 1968, with 2.8 and 4.2-litre straight-six engines. Through three different series this Mk1 remained in production right until 1992, although latterly only in small numbers in V12 form. The rest of the range had already been replaced by the square-headlamped 1986 XJ40. There was a return to round lights in the mid-1990s, and steel-bodied XJs continued until 2003 and the introduction of the aluminium X350-series XJ.

Fast forward to today and the latest XJ couldn’t be more different. That it’s more confident and forward-looking in appearance is in absolutely no doubt. It’s part of an outwardly and inwardly revived Jaguar marque that seems more comfortable within itself, having found its place as a maker of, as Jaguar’s strapline says, “fast, beautiful cars”.

The mainstay of the range is the V6-powered 3.0-litre diesel, which will take the vast majority of sales. Jaguar is offering normally aspirated V8 and supercharged Supersports V8 petrol-engined versions of this luxury saloon, too, but they are fringe sellers.

Trim levels run from Luxury, through Premium Luxury to Portfolio, with all versions available in long or standard wheelbase forms.

JAGUAR XJ MODELS:-

  Jaguar XJ Premium Luxury 3.0 L ( Automatic Diesel with 10.5 KM PL)- Rs 90.41 Lacs

 Jaguar XJ Super Sport 5.0 L ( Automatic Petrol with 10.5 KM PL)- Rs 90.41 Lacs

 Jaguar XJ Portfolio 5.0 L ( Automatic Petrol with 10.5 KM PL)- Rs 90.41 Lacs

 Jaguar XJ Ultimate 5.0 L (Automatic Petrol with 10.5 KM PL)- Rs 90 Lacs

                       ( To be Launched Soon)

OVERVIEW:-

The all new Jaguar XJ comes loaded with a 5.0 L supercharged AJ 8-cylinder V GEN III petrol engine with four-valve technology which belts out 385 PS of peak power at 6,500 rpm and churns 515 Nm at 3500 rpm. The 5000cc supercharged engine is coupled with ZF 6 speed transmission. The gearbox type is shift-by-wire six speed transmission that ensures drivers to change the gears manually without operating the clutch which can be done through steering wheel-mounted paddles. The all-new Jaguar XJ luxury sedan is loaded with sophisticated technology and features which include LED tail lights, Active Differential Control, air suspensions, Adaptive Dynamics (continuously variable damping), quick power steering, four zone climate control, rain sensing windscreen wipers, front parking aid, 12.3 inch full colour TFT-LCD instrument cluster with virtual information display and the list goes on and on.

The four-door saloon which comes in very design of sports coupe is more spacious than any other luxury car. The interior design of the car make one to feel free with 125mm of extra leg room for passenger and tear-drop shape of side window support it well. In addition, glass roof can be swept back for more natural light. Passive and active safety features make this vehicle more desirable than any other luxury saloon to name a few including pedestrian contact sensor, 3 flash land indicators, airbags at front and side (driver and passenger), airbag-side curtain, frontseats-whiplash protection system and seat belt reminder front and rear.

DESIGN :-

1. INTERIOR:-

As soon as you enter in the cabin of the super luxury saloon, you must appreciate the design and advanced features from multimedia to sexy finish. It gives you the feeling of total comfort with handy use of instruments. You will first see the craftsmanship when you sit on driver's seat which is fitted with ample head and leg room. The three spoke leather steering wheel attract you to drive the car with highly advanced multimedia features. The front and rear portion is covered by premium carpet mat set whereas the front and rear seat come in soft grain leather.

The pan panoramic glass roof can be opened for natural lights and can be operated automatically. For avoiding scorching heat, a dark tint reflective coating is provided. Mirror-matched wood veneers curve add to the beauty of the car interiors which come in eleven shades. The veneers are borrowed from 1950's classic wooden speedboats.

One more exciting feature is there in the saloon, bathed in light. The bathed in light make the car a more luxurious place in night by turning blue. The light blue mood spreads in the cabin and turns you crazy.

Interior Comfort

The new luxury vehicle of Jaguar India launches a car with advanced technology and good comfort features. The car is spacious whether it is front or rear portion of the car. Head and legroom is ample for every passenger and driver itself. At the rear row around 1 meter of leg room is created for comfy seating. Twin Cup holder at front and rear seat's centre armset is also equipped with twin cup holders. A small storage compartment is encraved in the front centre console area for small things. Driver's foot rest and rear business trays and front ashtray with cigar lighters are provided especially for those who like to smoke in the car. Four zone climate control is also fitted for luxury.

Interior Measurements

The Jaguar XJ is regarded as the latest luxury saloon with four door which provides accommodation to five people. Five people can be accommodated easily in the car. The engineers of company managed to carve a nice rear legroom of 1,121mm which also make passengers' journey very special and comfortable. A nice headroom and legroom for all passenger and drive is provided for comfortable riding experience.

The XJ’s driving position itself is fine and features a particularly well shaped and sized steering wheel, with gearshift paddles to its rear. Ergonomically, this is a fine cabin.

It’s also one that looks the part at a distance and in parts. Leather and well-finished wood adorn most surfaces, and there is a new-to-Jaguar digital dashboard display, in place of conventional, real analogue dials. Its resolution is fabulously high and there are some neat graphics: speeds closest to the car’s current velocity are highlighted, manual gearchange selection is shown beautifully and the left dial is replaced by a small sat-nav map prompt at times.

However, it serves to make the central touch-screen display poorer than its mediocre resolution and design would otherwise appear, while in a few other places the cabin doesn't quite come up to scratch; the materials of the air vents, for example, can’t match their appearance. The XJ’s extended bright work package also creates some harsh reflections, especially when the shades for the panoramic roof are folded away.

A taller profile at the rear of the XJ has given it one major advantage over its predecessors: boot volume has increased to 520 litres, a volume that’s now class average and betters that of a BMW 7-series.

2. EXTERIOR:-

Where the latest XJ does follow its predecessor is in the use of aluminium for its body panels and chassis, an expensive process but one that, in the luxury class, only Audi’s A8 shares. Unsullied by the A8’s four-wheel drive system, however, the rear-wheel-drive XJ is one of the lightest cars in this class – barely 40kg heavier than the smaller (though steel-built) XF saloon even in long-wheelbase form.

Certainly the XJ is forward-looking, and as with most advanced designs it doesn’t entirely avoid courting controversy. I know it’s subjective but, for the record, I like the XJ’s overall design stance, even if I'm not entirely convinced about its rear. Arguably the XJ’s most controversial feature — the black-clad C-pillars — are designed to blend seamlessly with the rear screen to give the impression that it wraps around. 

To accentuate the XJ’s length and give it a ‘waisted’ look, the swage line that starts from the top of the front wheel arch fades away through the middle of the car, before reappearing over the rear arch. Finally the headlight design first seen on Jaguar’s C-XF concept makes it to series production. Automatic xenon bulbs and LED daylight running lights are standard on all models. The rear lights are all LED. Jaguar says the three distinct red strips are reminiscent of a cat’s claw marks. The XJ L gets a wheelbase extended by 125mm over the standard wheelbase. Jaguar says that, unusually, the long-wheelbase model was developed to have dynamics to match those of the regular car.

This four-door saloon that comes in sports coupe body is justified by sweeping roofline, swept-back Xenon light clusters. The Jaguar XJ bonnet is wider, sculpted power bulge and rigid looking manly wheels make the vehicle the most aerodynamic. Headlamps seems awesome with Adaptive front lighting, cornering lamps with washers and LED Signature lights. Other exterior features include power folding electric adjusted exterior mirrors, auto dimming with Courtesy Puddle lamps and memory function, heated windscreen,rain sensing windscreen wipers, heated rear window, front parking aid and rear parking camera aid (both include touch-screen visual indicators). Apart form this, the car incorporates LED tail lamps and tailpipes (twin with chrome finishers). The car sports a panoramic glass roof which is standard on all new XJ models. The glass roof can be swept back front the top of the windscreen.

Exterior Measurements:-

The four door luxury saloon is claimed more spacious and luxurious. The Jaguar XJ is crafted in a way as to give it a similar look of sports coupe. The overall length of the machine is 5,247mm, width 2110mm and height is 1,448mm. The wheelbase of the car is wider that is 3,157mm with ample rear legroom (1,121 mm). The overall weight of the vehicle is 2,335 kg.

PERFORMANCE AND ENGINE:-

Five years ago Jaguar finally woke up to a fact each of its German rivals had known for years. It’s all well and good having a flagship high-output, big-capacity petrol in your executive saloon range, but it’s diesels that sell. I wondered why Jaguar hadn’t done it sooner, the torque 2.7-litre V6 delivering both the smoothness and response required of a big Jag.

The new XJ gets a revised version of that original 2.7, now enlarged to displace 3.0 litres. While the same engine is available in the XF in two states of tune, the XJ gets only the high-output version with 271bhp and 443lb ft of torque. Which, unless you’re doing really high-speed autobahn work, will be plenty. And even there the XJ needs just 12.4sec to accelerate from 110-130mph. If anything, our recorded 0-60mph time of 6.3sec somewhat undersells quite how effortlessly the XJ diesel adds speed in real-world use.

Left to its own devices, the six-speed torque converter performs a well judged balancing act between selecting the right gear and keeping the engine's revs low for consumption and refinement. In Sport mode the gearbox hold gears for longer and the shifts are quicker (and a little less smooth). Flicking the steering wheel-mounted paddles operates a manual mode which, if the car is set to Dynamic mode, will hold gears to the limiter. 
It will still kick down, though.

The quickest XJ is a 503bhp supercharged V8 which develops more torque than any other model, even the diesel, and which the figures say can hurl you from 0-60mph in just 4.7sec, which is not far short of a Ferrari’s time. I've not timed it using my GPS equipment, but it feels every bit that fast. Top speed is still limited at the usual 155mph unless you opt for the go-faster Speed pack.

The lower-powered petrol delivers 380bhp and 380lb ft of torque - as well as a creamy performance that suits the car's character. Official economy is actually only marginally better than the Supersport's, although not having the temptation to deploy supercar-rivalling pace will almost certainly reap financial dividends in real-world driving.

The XJ's well-modulated brakes are as impressive on the motorway as they are in stop-start traffic, and also deliver impressively short stopping distances.

In view to make the car very special in term of performance, the vehicle is blessed with air suspension, quick-ratio power steering and Adaptive Dynamics which work together for amazing handling and control. The bodyshell of the four-wheeler is made of advanced lightweight aluminium monocoque which results in faster acceleration, greater handling, better mileage and shorter stopping distances.

RIDE AND HANDLING AND BRAKING:-

Is the ride of the Jaguar XJ good enough? That’s the question we kept coming back to in our time with the car. Initial impressions were that the XJ felt a little too jittery. The complaint was not with big-bump absorption, but that small ridges occasionally cause a cross-cabin vibration. However, with time this initial complaint seemed to fade. That is not to forgive the XJ a fault, because the fact is that over some surfaces it simply isn’t as isolated as a Mercedes S-class.

But – and it’s a big but – in other areas the XJ has the S-class licked. Especially in terms of body control, where the XJ impresses not only in its ability to handle direction changes, but also over a choppy road and with its composure at motorways speeds. At the end of a long journey the XJ delivers its passengers refreshed and relaxed

.

Braking and handling are unmatchable in this new machine which is also the flagship model of the company. The vehicle is equipped with front

 ventilated disc brake and rear disc brakes. The brakes are fitted with latest ABS systems which ensure instant halting at any level of speed. Features like Adaptive Dynamics, air suspension and quick-ratio power steering help to handle the four-wheeler in a much better way as to give a fine riding and control. The Jaguar XJ advanced lightweight aluminium monocoque bodyshell is very much to add faster acceleration and more precise handling. Handling is also refined through Adaptive Dynamics, air suspension and quick-ratio power steering.

The XJ is a car of nearly two tonnes, but from the driver’s seat it never feels so portly. The steering is light and quick but accurate, and for such a long car the balance is impressively neutral. And even in the XJ D there’s the very real sense that the car is being pushed through a corner by its rear wheels.

But it’s the fact that the XJ combines the involvement of this ‘old-fashioned’ approach to dynamics with all the control you’d expect of a modern saloon and the serenity of a luxury product that makes it so compelling.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION:-

Jaguar XJ Variants

Variants	Transmission	Engine Description	Mileage		Power	AC	Power Steering	Central Locking
			City	Highway
5.0L (Petrol)	Automatic	5000cc 8 Cylinder 32 Valve	5.8	10.5	379.7 bhp @ 6500 rpm	Standard	Standard	Standard
5.0LV8 Supercharged(Petrol)	Automatic	5000cc 8 Cylinder 32 Valve	5.8	10.5	503 bhp @ 6000-6500 rpm	Standard	Standard	Standard
3.0L(Diesel)	Automatic	2993cc 6 Cylinder 24 Valve	5.8	10.5	271.2 bhp @ 4000 rpm	Standard	Standard	Standard

Courtesy:- AARUSH