Jaguar XJ Premium Luxury 3.0 V6 Diesel SWB 2010 Review

Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel SWB

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OVERVIEW

It's hard to quantify how important style is in any new-car purchasing decision, but the consensus is that it's a very important factor when buying a Jaguar. Arguably, the XJ's style has been missing in action over many years. This new (coded X351) model addresses that without taking the retro path the superseded X350 model trod. Not only is the new XJ thoroughly modern -- with efficient engines in an aluminium-construction body -- it looks modern too.

This new Jaguar isn't just a paper tiger, of course. Underneath the eye-catching sheet metal, the new XJ features most of the same engine options as the upgraded XF model introduced locally last year. There's also a slightly de-tuned supercharged V8 exclusive to the XJ, but the larger car misses out on the petrol V6 of the entry-level XF -- if 'misses out' is the right phrase.

The new car offers an unprecedented level of comfort too. There's a highly sophisticated in-car entertainment system and careful interior design, which is bold but cosy, a hallmark of earlier Jaguars. Yet passengers won't feel short-changed for space -- particularly not in the long-wheelbase cars.

The Portfolio level of trim is available in short-wheelbase form only, but with the choice of the two petrol engines, atmo V8 or supercharged in de-tuned 346kW form. Pricing is $274,800 for the naturally-aspirated model or $311,000 supercharged. Topping the range is the Supersport grade, supercharged only and pumping out the full 375kW output, but available in both short ($354,800) and long ($367,800) wheelbases.

All the new XJ variants are fitted as standard with the sort of features normally expected in a car priced at this level, including: xenon headlights with auto-on/off, metallic paint, front/rear parking sensors, power-operated boot lid, one-touch electric windows, glass sunroof with electric blind, electrically-adjustable/tilt-away steering column, electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, leather-bound three-spoke steering wheel with shift paddles/remote controls for audio/cruise control/phone, keyless entry/start, satellite navigation and climate control.

In addition, the full XJ range comes equipped as standard with: tunable powertrain and chassis settings via Jaguar Drive Control (Winter/Dynamic modes), electric parking brake, electro-chromatic exterior mirrors with power fold-in facility, virtual instrument display, 600W CD/DVD entertainment system, media hub, voice control and rear-window powered sunblind.

Beyond all that, the entry level XJ Premium Luxury also features dual-zone climate control and a premium carpet mat set. With the exception of the Supersport's leather headlining and carpet mat set, those comfort and convenience features offered as standard in the Portfolio and Supersport variants can also be ordered at extra cost in the XJ Premium Luxury.

Moving up to the XJ Portfolio, the standard feature list adds adaptive headlights, cornering lights, Intelligent High Beam, reversing camera, tyre pressure monitoring, four-zone climate control, suedecloth premium headlining, wood/leather combination three-spoke steering wheel and ventilated/heated seats. The in-car info/entertainment suite includes 1200W Bowers & Wilkins audio, digital/analogue-capable TV tuner, Dual View touchscreen in centre fascia and wireless headphones. Standard features of the XJ Supersport are available as extra-cost options in the XJ Portfolio, other than leather headlining and the Supersport carpet mat set.

Positioned above the other two grades, the XJ Supersport comes equipped as standard with rear business trays (LWB only), leather headlining, exclusive carpet mat set and Rear Seat Entertainment system. The RSE will be available from August production and is expected to reach Australian customers before the end of the year.

In addition to the supercharged V8 mentioned above, the XJ's engine range comprises the 3.0-litre diesel V6 and the naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8. The supercharged engine -- also displacing 5.0 litres -- develops 346kW of power in the XJ Portfolio or 375kW in the XJ Supersport. Apart from the 346kW forced-induction V8, the engines powering the new XJ are basically the same as those powering the smaller XF.

Output for the 3.0-litre diesel V6 of the entry-level XJ is unchanged from the XF at 202kW/600Nm. In combined-cycle testing, this engine returns respective fuel consumption figures and CO2 emissions of 7.0L/100km and 184g/km (SWB) or 7.2L/100km and 189g/km (LWB).

The naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 produces 283kW and 515Nm, also matching its counterpart in the XF. Fuel consumption is 11.3L/100km and CO2 emissions are rated at 264g/km, irrespective of the wheelbase length.

In 346kW guise, the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 develops 575Nm of torque and the Supersport (375kW) engine produces 625Nm -- also the peak torque figure for the XFR. Both the supercharged engines use 12.1L/100km of fuel and emit 289g/km of CO2.

There's just the one transmission available in the XJ -- ZF's six-speed automatic transmission. Jaguar anticipates that in a future upgrade the XJ may adopt ZF's latest eight-speed box.

All XJ variants come with standard air suspension at the rear and Adaptive Dynamics (automatically variable-rate dampers). Supercharged Portfolio and Supersport variants also feature Active Differential Control as standard.

Standard alloy wheels measure 19 inches for the Premium Luxury or 20 inches for the Portfolio and Supersport variants.

The Jaguar's external dimensions convey a sense of spaciousness inside the car, although on a contrary note, the XJ's interior also feels relatively cosy -- something the designers have aimed to achieve as homage to the original XJ from the 1960s.

Headroom and legroom are good, both front and rear -- even with the driver's seat set slightly further aft than entirely necessary in the SWB car driven. Rear-seat occupants enjoy a further 125mm of legroom in long-wheelbase variants. Even in the long-wheelbase XJ however, headroom may be marginal for those more than 180cm tall.

In the driver's seat, the XJ provides plenty of under-thigh support and holds the occupant in place very well, without feeling uncomfortable or aggressively bolstered. There's also plenty of (powered) adjustment, including lumbar support. Like many other aspects of the XJ, the seat position is very finely adjustable.

On the way to the airport for the trip home, a long-wheelbase XJ provided abundant boot space to accommodate overnight luggage for three, with some room to spare. Both standard- and long-wheelbase lengths boast 520 litres of boot space. The flat floor of the boot has chrome-plated rails -- a nice touch allowing luggage to be pushed forward into the deeper recesses with ease.

The cabin of the XJ is a place that will delight and intrigue many, but some will find it too busy.

Combining bold, bright finish centres for the eyeball vents with piano-black finish for the centre fascia -- along with two-tone leather and woodgrain decorative trim on doors and between the base of the windscreen and the top of the dash-- buyers might want to consider carefully when they're making their choice of options, colours and trim materials. It could easily end up very fussy.

Our particular preference would be Jet (charcoal) leather and, rather than the woodgrain in the test vehicles, carbon-fibre decorative trim.

The vehicles on test came with a laser-etched rendering of Ian Callum's signature; Callum being the designer of the car. Arguably the most famous automotive designer of the modern era, the Brit has worked on Jags, Fords, Aston Martins and HSVs.

The plaque featuring his signature sits between the base of the windscreen and the top of the dash. As an alternative to the dreadfully archaic build-number plate often found in exclusive cars, the XJ's plaque is a little piece of customisation with added appeal.

Buyers can specify whatever they want for the etching on the plaque. Want an image of 'the Leaper'? That can be done at the factory... Your company logo or 'E=MC2'? It's all possible, as long as it can etched by laser in two dimensions on a plate about 10x4cm in size.

The touchscreen interface in the centre fascia is not ultimately as easy to operate or quite as intuitive as the same feature in the latest XF and XK models. But it is the focal point for DualView and the extensive range of Jaguar's entertainment systems. To explain in detail what the XJ buyer can have in the way of audio/visual systems would require another full article, so let's just say the XJ takes OE in-car entertainment to a new level.

This technology is moving so fast, it's outstripping the ability of Jaguar's dealer network to support it -- take updating the GraceNotes music database as one example.

From August production, the XJ will be offered with the option of Rear-Seat Entertainment, but early buyers really wanting the RSE are being kept on ice by Jaguar Australia dealers until the option becomes available locally, towards the end of the year.

RSE basically comprises TV displays in the headrests for rear-seat passengers. These come with separate wireless headphones. With the DualView system and the RSE option -- plus the XJ's ability to play video from three different sources (DVD, DivX on USB memory stick and the built-in TV tuner), three out of four of the car's occupants can theoretically watch video from different sources simultaneously.

Between such features as rear-seat heating and four-zone climate controls, plus the imminent ability to play video from three different sources, the XJ will shortly offer (almost) all the creature comforts of home.

Fans of the rising rotary gearknob introduced with the smaller XF will be pleased to hear that it has been carried over into the XJ. As in the XF, it features a Sport setting, clockwise from Drive. In Sport, the instrument display replaces the left dial aspect (engine temp, fuel gauge, time, external temperature and trip computer) with a large graphic informing the driver of the gear selected (through the shift paddles specifically). As the engine approaches its redline, the number in the dial, correlating to the gear selected, changes colour to red also. This prompts the driver to select a higher gear.

The major instruments are displayed in a GUI-style LCD read-out. Compared with a similar system in the Benz S-Class, it looks a touch Photoshopped. Frankly, given the XJ's many other attributes, it's something you would tolerate, even if you don't especially like it.

Jaguar is taking safety very seriously, developing the new XJ with a deployable bonnet that pops up when the vehicle detects an imminent impact with a pedestrian. The bonnet effectively cradles the pedestrian's head without allowing the noggin to crash through to the hard and unyielding engine underneath.

Standard safety features for the new XJ include: two-stage/lane-change indicators, dual front airbags, thorax-protecting side-impact airbags for the front seats, side-curtain airbags, drive-away locking, active front-seat headrests and seatbelt reminders for front and rear seats. Catering also to active safety, the XJ comes with standard stability control, traction control, emergency brake assist and an automatic speed limiter for the adaptive cruise control.

There are many reasons why the buyer might choose the Jaguar over either of these cars, or the four logical Germans -- Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class, Porsche Panamera -- and the Lexus LS. At the risk of being insensitive, many of those reasons boil down to the respective brand image and how buyers relate to what each car says about its respective owner.

Let's face it, all these cars have their own redeeming qualities, but it's how people judge you by the car you drive that will be given the greatest credence during the decision-making process, come time to buy a new car. We're not going to spell out our own perceived stereotypes for you, but the beauty of the new XJ is it arguably straddles the many attributes of the key luxury marques.

In the XF, this engine sounds like a petrol V6 and performs like a petrol V8. That holds true in the XJ, with the added virtue of a bass engine note at around 3500rpm unlike any other diesel in this writer's experience.

On a fairly demanding run with some gentler open-road cruising thrown in, the XJ diesel averaged 10.2L/100km while providing plenty of overtaking performance when required. In addition to being a refined engine, the diesel also goes about its business with negligible turbo lag.

But the XJ is a strong all-round package and it's not just wrapping for the engine. ZF's admirable six-speed automatic works very effectively with the diesel V6.

According to Jaguar, this transmission will remain the part of the XJ's specification for at least the next couple of years and won't be replaced by ZF's new eight-speed box until the one of the XJ engines needs updating. Jaguar argues that the eight-speed ZF is more appropriate for fuel-efficient cruising at higher speeds on German autobahns than in markets such as Australia, where (lower) speed limits apply.

In the XJ, we found that the ZF changed gear abruptly when shifts were effected with the paddles, but at other times we had nothing but praise. On the subject of the paddles, they're plastic, which seems out of place in a car starting just under $200,000.

The drive program laid on by Jaguar involved sections of very tight and winding road. It was a route more appropriate for a Subaru WRX or Mitsubishi Evo than a large, luxury sedan. Yet the XJ was composed and surefooted in this sort of environment.

Front-end grip was unyielding; the Jaguar always feeling more prepared to let loose at the rear. There was never any sign of tyre slip at the front wheels, despite the direct and communicative steering transmitting plenty through the driver's hands. With its very responsive turn-in, plus the feedback and weight through the steering wheel, the XJ feels like a much smaller and more agile car.

The Dynamic mode is sensational. It's initially subtle, making itself felt through slightly heavier steering and firmer ride properties. At the first corner it's apparent that the car's stability is improved and the sense of what the car is doing (through the seat and the wheel) is also enhanced. In the default mode, there's more a sense of weight transfer at the rear as the car turns into a corner.

Even in Dynamic mode, the ride is not uncomfortable or in any way jarring. Obviously ride comfort is improved in normal mode; although a fellow journalist felt the secondary ride quality could be better. Driving the standard wheelbase car left us with no such misgivings.

After this brief drive in a diesel variant, we were left wanting more.

Jaguar's new XJ is a head-turning car that you would feel proud to possess. There are no significant concessions in owning the diesel and the levels of comfort and safety in this car make it a good value proposition.

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