Jaguar XJ Review 2011

For – beautiful, fast, luxurious
Against – lack of headroom in rear, tacky speedo

If you have about £70,000 to spend on a four-door limousine the choices are nothing short of magnificent. I don’t, but it is a lot of fun going through the motions.

First on the list for high-tech limo leadership is the Mercedes S class, closely followed by the BMW 7 Series and Audi A8. The Porsche Panamera looks awful to some, but not to me. That is a strong candidate too. The Lexus LS has its champions, and I could make a case for being a bit daring and plumping for a Maserati Quattroporte, but these last two choices mean you’d have to spend up to another £20,000.

Then of course there is the Jaguar XJ.

The mainstream choices – BMW, Mercedes and Audi – all look a bit bland and understated, as though their occupants are feeling guilty for having spent so much of the shareholders money on a car. You can’t say that about the Jaguar. It has fabulous, sweeping, unapologetic, in yer face beautiful lines. The XJ’s front air intake looks like 1950s jet fighter crossed with a Maserati. The muscular lines sweeping to the back hint at Aston Martin. OK, so the rear might remind you of a big, cheap, mass-produced Peugeot, but forgive them that small lapse; just look inside at the hand-stitched leather, the real wood trim, and the wrap-around cockpit for the driver. In fact, the design of the rear is more about wind resistance than looks because it has been designed to ensure airflow was controlled without the need for a spoiler.

When you move inside and turn on the motor with the start button, the little wheel which serves as an automatic gearbox controller silently moves up out of the central console. Jaguar describes this as the signature Jaguar “handshake”, and it won’t be to everyone’s taste when you decide to switch into sport or winter mode, because twisting a dial feels less normal than pulling or pushing a lever,. But I’m sure you would either get used to it, or never need to switch modes at all. The diesel engine is barely audible until you move away and the speed mounts. On the open road the engine note is more like a sophisticated V-8 than an oil-burner, and it is just as lightening fast to react to pressure from the accelerator.

Zips through its paces
The six-speed, automatic gearbox zips through its paces without fuss, raising the question as to why anyone would want or need seven or eight speeds. OK, I know that Mercedes, Audi and BMW auto boxes are apparently more fuel efficient (especially if you test them in a laboratory with no contact with the outside world). The system has a manual over-ride called Jaguar Sequential Shift, which new owners might use once just to make sure they have received full value for money, before forgetting it for the duration. The Jaguar’s diesel, a V-6 3.0 litre engine, produces an amazing 271 hp with its twin sequential turbochargers, and whisks the car from rest to 60 mph in six seconds. Apparently, it will go on to 155 mph, before the computer intervenes with a firm No Mas. Jaguar claims it will also return 40.1 mpg, so you won’t be surprised to find that I managed 31.3 mpg. That’s just over 20 per cent less than Jaguar’s claim and well within the expected percentage of exaggeration employed by car companies.

The XJL’s (for long wheelbase) road behavior is top class. It holds itself flat through the fast curves and the steering is light and accurate.

Handling on the twisty bits was impeccable, thanks to new features like air suspension, continuously variable suspension damping, active differential control and quick-ratio power steering, delivering the blend of responsive, dynamic handling and refined, supple ride expected from a Jaguar. This is a big car, but the body is made from aluminium, so the weight is considerably less than a similar-sized rival. That also promises more longevity, but probably also more expense if you are involved in a crash.

Class
The immediate feeling as you lower yourself into the driver’s seat is simply one of class. The leather and metal fittings feel great to the touch. The chrome and piano black detailing, and the veneer surfaces will remind you that large amounts of money have been spent. The Bowers & Wilkins label promise awesome-sounding music. One tacky blemish was the computer generated speedo and dials, which looked cartoonish and cheap. The electric seats seemed to have a mind of their own, moving back into dwarf mode every time I locked the car. Once, I swear that when I opened the electric driver’s window, the seats also moved back to the smallest position. The sat-nav wasn’t exactly intuitive. Even finding the AM radio setting took some concentrated effort. No doubt all these wrinkles would be ironed out with ownership of more than a week. The boot didn’t seem that big, and might be challenged by two golfers. The panoramic glass roof adds to the feeling of contentment in the cabin, enhancing the feeling of light and space.

As this is a long-wheel base car, you would expect plenty of room in the back. That is certainly true for the legs, but the height was less generous. My six-foot frame was just about snug. Anyone bigger might find the headroom less than comfortable. My inquiries reveal that this aspect of the car – not enough head room in the back compared with the BMW 7-series for instance - has cost Jaguar orders in this segment of the market where many owners will actually spend more time in the back than the front.

Portfolio
You can choose Luxury, Premium Luxury and Portfolio trim levels. Thanks Jaguar, for choosing Portfolio for me. This added goodies like 20 inch Kasuga wheels, ebony veneer, radar cruise control, and privacy glass.

The XJ is a magnificent limousine, a sports-saloon really, with the pace, comfort and quality to compete with the world’s best. You can imagine that some captains of industry would feel a little queasy about flaunting their wealth and might feel that a German or Japanese choice might deflect unwanted attention. That would be a pity if Jaguar’s gutsy decision to eschew blandness and embrace excitement cost it sales, although if the average height of a chauffeur is found to be more than six feet, perhaps Jaguar should do a swift redesign in the back.

Neil Winton – May 20, 2011