Lifestyle: Chris Barry test drives the new Jaguar XJ
Road Test: Jaguar XJ
Price tag: From £75,000
The Lowdown:
The newest addition to the updated family of sooped-up sleek Jaguars, aiming to revitalise the brand and take it away from its somewhat staid image.
To mark its sexy new image, Jaguar has mounted a high profile marketing blitz in the North West over the last month, with events, sponsorships and a display in the city’s Spinningfield’s business district.
The burning question of course is of course: “Does the car match the hype?”.
The answer is a resounding yes.
I found the XJ – which is made at Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich site in the West Midlands – surprisingly responsive for such a big car.
The need to be different, as well as good, was also clearly a factor in the design of the car. The blind-spot sensor, which appears as an image in your wing mirror as you pass another car, is one of several features to impress.
The ‘virtual dashboard’ was also a highly-impressive touch. particularly when satellite navigation is activated, and your rev counter is replaced by the directional map.
Buzzing through winding lanes throguh the Cheshire countryside or charging down the outside lane of a motorway, I Found the XJ has found the right balance of power, handling and luxury to ensure that it does really well.
Tech-spec:
Engine: Five litre, V8 petrol, Six speed automtatic
Top speed: 155mph
0-60mph: 4.9 seconds
0-100kph: 5.2 seconds
Combined Fuel Economy: 23.4mpg
The verdict:
An old man’s car? I think not.
The XJ handles like a much smaller car, is packed with exciting innovations and will surely give Mercedes, Audi and BMW a run for their money in the executive car market.
It is fun to drive and the V8 engine packs quite a punch, particularly when sporting mode is activated.
Rating: * * * *
