Ladies and gentlemen, here it finally is, the brand new Jaguar XJ! Posted here are the official pictures released soon after Jaguar unveiled the car during a star-studded event in London earlier tonight. Not that I was there but I do understand there were a few important celebrities like chat show host Jay Leno and others.
About the car itself. Well not much more than was already said yesterday can be said really, except one or three things. The first is that in addition to the 3.0-litre V6 diesel, the 5.0-litre naturally aspirated and 5.0-litre supercharged V8s, a new version of the 5.0-litre has been added. Remember that the turbo diesel makes 202kW and 600Nm right? And the 5.0-litre naturally aspirated and 5.0-litre supercharged V8 produce 283kW and 375kW (we thought it was 380kW, but the Brits say 510hp...ah well) each right?
Well the new version of the same supercharged 5.0-litre does a detuned 346kW which makes it a mid-range choice. Jaguar claims fuel consumption and C02 emissions are quite low on these cars, but that performance is exceptional. This is partly thanks to a lighter body made mostly from aluminium. The makers say it is at least 150kg lighter when compared to the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. That of course should equate to better performance.
After what I said yesterday about the rear I was pleasantly surprised at how gorgeous the interior looks, especially the front end including the dashboard. The marque’s design team led by Ian Callum went to town with the cabin space, making round shapes that blend in so well with each other. Luxurious leather and veneer are used extensively to illustrate the level of car we are dealing with here.
European and other buyers will be able to choose between Luxury, Premium Luxury, Portfolio, Supercharged or the range-topping Supersport models. I have a feeling Jaguar South Africa will severely limit these choices just as they already have with the XF.
An 8-inch touch screen controls all the functions such as the 1200W Bowers & Wilkins music system, satellite navigation, climate control and the DVD player (if chosen). The leather-covered steering also has access to some of these functions.
Both the standard wheelbase and the long wheelbase (125mm longer) are to be available from the same time. Jaguar has begun taking orders, possibly in every country that the XJ will be sold.
First deliveries, including for South Africa, will happen in early 2010. The UK has set a minimum price of £52,500 (R695 000/ US$85 600) for the baseline 3.0-litre turbo diesel. Hopefully the Mzansi team will be able to keep prices around this vicinity too.
