Jaguar XJL - the purr-fect driving machine
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Not only does this top cat prowl a totally different trail of design than any of its predecessors, it also embraces technology far in advance of any Jaguar ever.
Gone are the Jaguars that mimic the rounded hips and classic grills of past kitties. No, this Jaguar shows the new face of Britain’s 75-year-old car company, now in the apparently capable hands of India’s Tata Motors, along with house mate Range Rover.
Jag celebrates two special anniversaries as your read this. Started by William Lyons in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, reburying Austin Sevens in more elegant coachwork in 1927 led to a bespoke SS1 in 1931, and finally the first Jaguar in 1935 – 75th anniversary. Fast forward to 1961, and Malcolm Sayers’ sleek bullet, the E-Type, was born – next year is its 50th.
So as our silver feline takes to the streets, it celebrates some milestones in its company as we celebrate some luxurious prowling.
* Cat culture – The XJ was first introduced in 1974, a big luxurious sedan that followed Jaguars’ tradition of curvaceous four doors with leather- and wood-bound cabins and silky engines. Amazingly, the Axis kept that curved look through three generations (and Ford ownership) until 2009, when Hollywood stars helped unveil Ian Callus’s new shape on a live web cast from London.
The new cat definitely changes its stripes. Longer, lower and yes, meaner looking, there are two versions - standard and long-wheelbase (XJL) with our naturally-aspirated 5-liter 385-hp V-8; supercharged 470-hp V-8; or XJ Super sport with 510-hp supercharged version. But let’s look this cat in the eye first.
Aluminum, magnesium and composite alloys make up its skin and superstructure, the lighter and stiffer body structure starting with the wide-mouth chrome mesh grill first seen on the mid-size XF sedan, moving away from the retro designs of the past yet keeping traditional British looks. The slit dual-element headlights get a lidded design that glares at you, aided by a strip of Leeds, with a wide lower center air intake, chrome-speared side intakes and a slight lip of a lower air dam. The bonnet gets a traditional Jaguar center power bulge, a crisp round fender line carrying a bit of shoulder under the chrome-trimmed side windows all the way to the tail. Handsome 19-inch 10-spoked alloy wheels wear Pirelli rubber, framed by subtle flares, while a trim fender vent accents the gently curved flanks. The roofline is gracefully curved and low, emphasizing the gentle upward angle of the shoulder line, while the lower sill gets a subtle edge on the lower doors to add some design tension. The smoked glass panoramic moon roofs give our silver car an almost mirrored roof.
It’s the back end that makes the radical departure, starting with a near fastback roof line and vertical taillights that look like a dramatic claw slashes down the rear flanks. Blacked-out D-pillars give the appearance of a wrap-around rear window, which caused some onlookers to comment that it should have been painted body color. Those LED-striped taillights flow down the fender shoulder line as in cascades to a subtle chrome-trimmed bumper, angling inward to frame the trunk lid accented with a leaping cat. Twin stainless steel exhaust tips add to subtle jewelry here.
Taken to some cruise-ins on a crisp fall day, the XJL gathered crowds who looked at its long, muscular shape, one saying they were “dazzled” by its length and look, another saying it was “beautiful,” a third saying it “was huge for a Jaguar.” I personally didn’t like the new tail design at the car’s unveiling, but have grown to love the look and muscle it exudes, with a very aerodynamic .29 coefficient of drag.
*Cat cabin – Say cheerio to the traditional slab of wood of former Jaguars. The new XJ ditches the plank except for the door panels and a strip that circles the dash top under the windscreen. The rest is a beautifully redesigned cockpit full of stitched black leather, polished steel and aluminum and piano black, with contrasting white stitching on armrests and seats. A three-spooked power tilt and telescope steering wheel that can be heated has a thick graspable rim and the needed stereo, cruise, on-board computer, Bluetooth cell phone and voice command buttons on the spokes. What looks like a traditional three-ring gauge package is actually a high-definition 12.3-inch LCD video screen that displays a 170-mph speedometer in the middle, 7,000-rpm tach to the right and gas and temperature gauge with info screen inside to the left. Access the onboard computer controls on the wheel’s right spoke, and a menu replaces the tach so you can scroll through it. Tap the voice command button, and the tach fades to become a list of possible next commands to use. You can even set the auto high beams, reverse dip mirror and other functions via a tach-side menu. Run low on washer fluid, and the tach is replaced by a warning. A basic trip computer appears between gas and temperature displays on the left, with time, outside temperature, driving information and stereo info, as well as satellite navigation turn instructions or an animated Sport shift gear display. When you select the Dynamic Driving mode, the entire gauge package glows red. It works very well, clear enough to see except in direct sun.
Head dash center under the stitched leather, and two of four silky-smooth eyeball air vents flank a sapphire blue-faced analog clock inspired by luxury wristwatches. Under it is an 8-inch touch-screen display that handles navigation, climate control, audio and communications and navigation, framed in gloss black and chrome. Ice blue lighting encircles the stereo volume and mode controls with CD/DVD slot and four-zone (front and rear seats) climate controls. The piano black center console gets a knurled aluminum gear shift control which rises up when you touch the red heartbeat-pulsing “Start” button on the dash. Here resides the chrome electronic parking brake, twin sliding doors over grippe cup holders, and another chromed door that tips open to reveal an illuminated felt-lined caddy for your cell phone or MP3 player, with a 12-volt outlet, MP3 and two USB/iPod inputs under the stitched leather center armrest. Only complaint – all that chrome and black mirror finish on the console creates some glare in the noonday sun.
The front seats, black with white piping around perforated center sections, have 14-way power adjustment including side bolsters, lumbar and seat cushion. Front seat residents also get three memory pre-sets each, plus heat, cooling and massage controlled off the touch screen. They were grippe and very supportive and comfortable over some long road trips. Adding to road trip comfort was a spectacular 1,200-watt Bowers and Wilkins 7.1 surround sound system, with 20 speakers and an Odyssey Molten XT audio tuning system that we are told digitally corrects imperfections. Suffice to say that HD FM, as well as CD/DVDs and SIRIUS satellite, sounded great, most of it voice controlled if you don’t want to use the touch screen or steering wheel controls. There are also two USB ports, Bluetooth audio streaming and a 30GB hard disc to upload CD music. The glove box and door map pockets add storage space. But the real space is in back, thanks to a 5-inch wheelbase stretch over the base XJ.
Open the long back doors and you slip into a very roomy place for two, with drop-down writing desks, rear climate control, a center arm rest with storage, and scads of leg room. The rear outboard seats are also heated and cooled. For privacy, a power rear sun shade and manual side shades, as well as a power shade for the overhead moon roof. Did I mention the headliner is suede-like, and there are twin lit vanity mirrors for back sweaters? The carpeted trunk has a power boot lid, plus elegant chrome strips accented with rubber to keep luggage from sliding. It’s big enough (18.4-cu. ft.) as well. For added luxury, keyless entry and keyless start with a large key fob.
All on board and at speed and the big cat was quiet, except for a tad of wind noise and a superb engine growl at throttle. It was truly one of the most beautiful and well-made interiors I have been in for the price. The only imperfection – the driver’s side mirror popped out, but clicked back in and stayed put, its defroster and blind spot indicator working perfectly.
*Jaguar juice – The XJ has some all-new four-cam V-8 powerplants, from the supercharged top-of-the-line 510-hp unit down to our 4,500-mile-old base 5-liter’s normally-aspirated unit. But being base isn’t base. Despite weighing in around 4,100 pounds, our XJ leapt off the line with alacrity and hit 60-mph in a satisfying 5.2-seconds with the 6-speed gearbox set to “Sport.” We could shift with the plastic steering-wheel paddles, but the gearbox did it with feline grace and precision, dual exhaust emitting a big growl at full throttle. On the highway, our XJL averaged 20-mpg on premium.
Under the aluminum and steel skin, our Jag had a double-wishbone front suspension with more alloy, and a subframe-mounted multi-link rear suspension with lightweight cast aluminum links and air springs. That air suspension kept the ride height spot on regardless of load, with active damping to keep the ride supple on some of the more rural roads we traveled. JaguarDrive Control offers three modes that adapt transmission, engine response, shift points and suspension for a “Normal,” “Dynamic” or “Winter” need. Normal offered a controlled, comfy ride most of the time, maybe a bit too soft for me. Set it on “Dynamic” and drive hard, and this cat claws its way neutrally around country turns with a crisp turn in, only showing understeer if you really push. That setting even cinches the shoulder belts a tad. It’s amazing how well this long (206.6-in.) car handles. The steering had a well-weighted feel, while the disc brake pedal had a progressive feel, great control and fade-free stops time after time. For safety, ABS, stability control, cornering lights and headlights that turn with steering, automatic high beam on/off, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, backup camera and multiple air bags.
*Cat cost – The base XJL starts at $78,650, nicely loaded with all above except the $2,200 Bowers and Wilkins audio system and a $1,000 driver assistance pack, for a final of $82,700. We’ve tested a 400-hp BMW 750Li that costs $20,000 more, and is a half-second quicker and a bit fleeter of feet, with superb rear leg room. It has a different look that’s cool, but maybe not as elegantly head-turning. A Mercedes-Benz S550 costs about $10,000 more, looks muscular and sleek, and its 383-hp V-8 and suspension tuning are solid and athletic. The 2011 Audi A8 starts at $90,000 with a 372-hp V-8, said to be crisp in handling and quick enough too. The ultra-smooth Lexus LS460 has 380-hp, hits 60-mph in less than 6 seconds, and offers a supple silky suspension for about $70,000.
*Bottom line – The Jaguar XJL’s looks crept up on me like cat’s paws, quiet until it purred next to me. I love the long, lean look, the glaring eyes and the traditional grill, plus performance and handling are just right for the price.
2011 Jaguar XJL
Vehicle type – full-size 5-passenger luxury sedan
Base price - $78,650 ($82,700 as tested)
Engine type – 32-valve, DOHC aluminum V-8
Displacement – 5-liter
Horsepower (net) – 385 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 380 @ 3,500 rpm
Transmission – 6-speed automatic with paddle shift
Wheelbase – 124.3 in.
Overall length – 206.6 in.
Overall width– 74.6 in.
Height– 57 in.
Front headroom – 37 in.
Front legroom – 44.3 in.
Rear headroom – 36 inches
Rear legroom– 44 in.
Cargo capacity – 15.2 cu. ft.
Curb weight – 4,131 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 21.7 gal.
Mileage rating – 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway
Last word – A big cat that was a purr-fect driving machine
