The Cat Cometh

An early look at the upcoming Jaguar XJ

“As long as there’s an England, there’s always going to be a Jaguar.”
Those words were spoken by famed ‘car guy’ and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno, on-hand earlier this year at London’s Saatchi Gallery to pull the wraps off Jaguar’s ambitious, new 2011 XJ flagship sedan.
There was a time not long ago, when it seemed Leno’s promise would not have held water. Hampered by quality issues and with products that were Old World rather than avant-garde like most luxury competitors, Jaguar was, as the Brits would say, “in a wee spot of trouble.”
This Coventry Cat has nine lives, though. First the new, all-alloy XK sports car debuted, then the strikingly modern XF sedan, the latter around the time ownership of the automaker was transferred to India’s Tata Motors. This was suddenly not your grandpappy’s Jaguar.
Now the third step in the brand’s revitalization has bowed in: the dramatically different 2011 XJ full-size sedan. It does not go on sale until January, but Carguide thought a rundown on the new feline’s features was in order:
The new XJ will be offered in XJ, XJL, Supercharged and Supersport models, with a price range of $88,000 - $133,500. Both regular and long-wheelbase versions will be available.
The styling is a major departure from the traditional lines of its predecessor. The face follows the brand’s new design language, with hints from the XF, along with elongated tear-drop shapes, a mesh grille and slim, xenon headlights. The rear end wears unconventional vertical LED taillights. Other highlights: a panoramic glass roof and an unconventional blacked out C-pillar, which makes the rear window look as if it wraps around into the sides of the car.
Jaguar says its XJ brings new standards of sustainability to the luxury vehicle segment. Not only is its lightweight aluminum structure at least 136 kg (300 lbs.) lighter than its rivals, it’s made with 50 percent recycled material, with a plan to increase that number to 75 percent. This means a savings of three tonnes of CO2 per vehicle, versus a bodyshell made from new aluminum.
The new XJ will be available with a choice of three engines – a 5.0-litre, 385 horsepower V8; a 5.0L, 470 hp supercharged V8; and a 5.0L, 510 hp supercharged V8. All the engines are mated to an enhanced version of Jaguar’s acclaimed six-speed automatic transmission.
For that much-hyped cat-like agility, the new XJ offers air suspension, Adaptive Dynamics (continuously variable damping), Active Differential Control (on Supercharged and Supersport models), quick-ratio power steering and paddle shifters.
As expected, the interior is also ultra-modern, mixing technology and luxury in equal parts. The cabin offers more colours, veneers and leathers than any previous Jaguar. Trunk capacity will be best-in-class at over 521 L (18 cu-ft.).
High technology is abundant. The main gauge cluster is actually a digital display with “virtual dials” that can ‘spotlight’ important information. If the navigation system is selected or the driver changes the radio station, dials like the rev counter fades away, temporarily replaced by the map or menu. The main display uses Dual-View technology – able to display a map to the driver and a DVD film to the passenger simultaneously.  Plus, there is a 1200-watt, 20 speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo system available.