What they said when the Jaguar XJ was new… (Feb 27 2003)
GROOMED to perfection, Jaguar's sensational new XJ saloon has hit the roads to stake its claim among the world's motoring elite.
Crammed with technology, this is a Jaguar which leaves the likes of Mercedes, BMW and Audi trailing in its wake.
It is a car which sets new standards in the luxury sector - and it drives like a Jaguar has never done before.
Rock solid stability and lightweight aluminium construction give the new XJ qualities that will make rivals quiver.
With prices starting at £39,000 for the car that signals the rebirth of the XJ6, it is more than £5,000 cheaper than the cheapest model of the current benchmark car in the luxury market place - the Mercedes S Class.
And what's more it out-performs anything else in its league.
The use of aluminium has created such a lightweight construction that the XJ tips the scales at less than the so-called X-Type baby Jag. In the big car sector that means it can outrun even the Audi A8 which also has an aluminium body.
Even the three litre XJ6 can sprint from 0 to 60mph in less than eight seconds, topping out at a claimed 145mph and still being capable of managing 27 miles per gallon.
The blisteringly quick supercharged V8 XJs - which cost £58,500 for the sporty XJR and £68,500 for the luxurious Super V8 - have top speeds electronically restricted to 155mph but can complete the 0 to 60 dash in just five seconds - 1.5 seconds faster than a similarly priced Mercedes.
The big Jaguars drink less fuel as well, averaging a claimed 23 miles per gallon as opposed to the 21.1 mpg from a 5.0 litre S Class.
It all adds up to a sensation on four wheels and that is exactly what the new XJ is.
The new car is being built at the Jaguar factories at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, where its aluminium body is made, and finished at the Brown's Lane works in Coventry, Seven different models will be available when the car goes on sale in April featuring three engine sizes - three litre V6s, an all new 3.5 litre V8 and hugely powerful 4.2 V8s developing either 300bhp or 400bhp, the latter with the assistance of supercharging.
Inside, the new XJ is sumptuously appointed. Bigger and more comfortable than any of its predecessors, this seventh generation of the legendary XJ has, at last, got sufficient room to accommodate people of larger stature.
Increased head and leg room front and rear and a 16 cubic foot boot give it real touring ability - although that boot space is still less than that of the Mercedes.
But the Jaguar is so British and despite all the technology lurking beneath its skin it is still user friendly, which is more than can be said for the complicated I-Drive system used by BMW in the latest 7 Series.
Despite the fact that it bristles with world beating, high-tech features, everything about the layout of the XJ's instrumentation is straightforward.
Not only is its body construction an industry first for a global series production car - the monococque aluminium body is rivet bonded in the same fashion as airliners - but it also incorporates space age features for driver and passengers.
Voice control, which Jaguar pioneered on the S-Type saloon, has been developed to allow rear seat occupants to operate the car's audio, air conditioning and video systems just by speaking.
It is set up to know from which seat the request is made and can also operate the onboard telephone system to enable handsfree and conference calls - and not even the likes of Bentley can offer that.
Other on-board extras include a multi-media system with screens fitted in the back of the front head restraints to enable television programmes, teletext information and DVDs to be played as well as external equipment, such as a games console or camcorder, to be connected.
The driver can also use voice control as well as a touch screen full colour display in the centre of the instrument panel.
Satellite navigation fitted to the XJ now stores data on a DVD that can cover almost entire continents. That also enables postcode programming of destinations with rapid transfer of information around the car's computer systems through fibre optic links so a route can be calculated in seconds.
Safety features include an array of airbags which are all governed by Jaguar's active restraint technology system, ARTS, which detects the weight and position of the people inside and activates the devices accordingly to provide maximum protection. It also controls the tension placed on the seatbelts.
Another innovation sees all XJs being fitted with air suspension which automatically adjusts to changing ride conditions.
On top of that the new XJ models also feature advanced braking systems and stability controls and, like the latest versions of the S-Type, the car is fitted with an electronic parking brake, doing away with the traditional handbrake lever.
In terms of Jaguar's reputation of producing phenomenal felines, this one may become dubbed the alloy cat - but it is of the finest British pedigree.
Words: Chris Russon
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