2011 Jaguar XJL
Sadly there are times in our lives when we have to be grown-ups. As much as we’d always like to zip around in an old (or new) two-seater with the top down, there are days (many, quite frankly) when you need a more practical car that can seat four adults, on something more than a “parcel shelf.” Fortunately, there are now a number of offerings that fit this bill, without sacrificing style or performance. Take for instance, the truly all-new Jaguar XJ.
The new 2011 Jaguar XJ series represents the first clean sheet of paper offering from Jaguar since being taken under the wing of its new Indian parent, Tata. While some may have worried that this would spell disaster for the 75-year-old, quintessentially British company, I’m pleased to say that this new offering will warm the cockles of any die-hard Jaguar enthusiast’s heart, as well as automotive enthusiasts in general.
Constructed of a combination of aluminum stampings, castings and extrusions, the XJ four-door sedan is offered in both standard (201.7-in) and long wheelbase (206.7-in) versions, with each having the option of either a normally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 (385-hp, 380-lb/ft) or supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 (470-hp, 424-lb-ft). Alternatively, members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen may want to opt for the special order Supersport option, which boasts a tweaked supercharged engine capable of 510-hp and 461-ft-lb of torque. Never mind the Grey Poupon Jeeves, pass me my Nomex.
For our test drive, we were given the normally aspirated, long wheelbase version (pictured). With five extra inches of rear seat legroom and sporty, yet luxurious leather interior, the XJL is spacious luxury in the extreme. Interestingly, my two young daughters were captivated by the seemingly endless array of electronic gadgetry packed into the XJL. According to 8-year-old Abigail, “Daddy, I love this car. There’s so many buttons!” Some of the many interior features include: 4-zone climate control; electronically controlled window shades; 20-way seats with ventilation, heating, cooling and massage(!); 8” color touch screen command center; foldaway, rear seat work tables; twin sunroofs; 1200 watt, 20 speaker sound system; and, of course, navigation and a host of other features.
While it’s all fine and good to keep the kids occupied incessantly putting the rear shades up and down, readers of this magazine will undoubtedly be more concerned with what the new XJ is like to drive. At 4,131-lb for the unsupercharged, long wheelbase, you might be inclined to think that the new XJ might feel ponderous and heavy, like its ’80s ancestors. However, you’d be wrong. With 385-hp at your foot, a six-speed adaptive automatic with shift paddles and continuously variable, computer controlled shock absorbers all around, the XJ is the Jackie Gleason of the car world…looks big, but remarkably light on its feet. Press the button, on the center console with a checkered flag on it and first you feel the seat belts automatically snug down an additional inch and then the 614,400-pixel TFT screen virtual dashboard switches from blue-hued gauge bezels to red. It must be playtime.
Stick your boot in it and the cat responds with a satisfyingly throaty growl as it hurls you and your four passengers back in the ventilated seats. “Daddy, why are you going so fast?” my daughter asks nervously, as she and her sister get tossed around in the back seat. “Daddy’s working honey,” as I accelerate the XJ hard onto a 180-degree freeway onramp. Not only is the power and pick-up great, but the Jag provides good steering feedback and very reassuring surefootedness in high-G turns. Equally, if not more, impressive are the brakes, which manage to haul this big cat down like a light and nimble sports car.
Jaguar has positioned the new XJ line to be a competitor with the usual luxury sedan suspects from BMW and Mercedes, but also has its sights set on the Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera. With the standard wheelbase, normally aspirated model starting at $72,500 and then working its way up to the supercharged, long wheelbase at $90,500, they’ve positioned the XJ to be the low price leader of the bunch. This, combined with a 5-year warranty and 5 years of included regularly scheduled maintenance, really should give the German manufacturers a run for their deutschmarks.
Reviewed by Casey Annis
