Debuts the new XJ, Jaguar thinks big

Was an advertising agency to choose the name Jaguar when just 75 years ago, Sir William Lyons decided to give life to a brand new car, since then a symbol of prestige British. Prestige that the House of Coventry has had to defend and reaffirmed in the face of often difficult weather situations business until the recent passage in 2008, in good company with Land Rover to Indian group Tata. And, as if to exorcise the risk of possible deterioration of image and confusion with those produces the proletarian Nano, Jaguar has chosen to engage only the top end of the top car, not after brilliant raids of the X-Type in the category below premium cars.


In parallel, has also launched a veritable a stylistic revolution of the cars, while the hi-tech took precedence over the strictly classical tradition, and now after a model of rupture as the XF, is the last time Admiral generation XJ, also aimed to cut bridges with the past. The international market for super sedans, on the other hand, is profoundly changed, and if you look clienteles quantitatively more important in China and Russia, the established presence of flagship of Audi, BMW and Mercedes, has joined the aggressive lead from new entry emblazoned flavored coaches, from the Porsche Panamera Aston Martin Rapide, to say nothing of Maserati Quattroporte and Lexus. Crowding that makes it more difficult to stand and where mechanical excellence and build quality are a must. The rookie XJ, according to the designers, seeking to represent a balance between luxury and sporty handling, reinterpreting the fees Jaguar in the first place in features outward.

The purists of the brand will now have even greater difficulty compared to the same XF, digesting coupeggianti forms, and without concessions nostalgic desired by a designer who does discuss as Ian Callum, but the desire to turn the page looks at new commercial potential and to shake off some ‘dust aristocracy in favor of more middle-class, but more modern, technology. Outside, the LED lights make the cut oblong an end to the historic twin front headlights round behind surprised elongated vertical lights, the carrier remains only a few concessions to the tone of an old man sitting “old England “of the previous XJ, with leather upholstery and abundance of logs. Sitting at the wheel, in fact, they face gigantic jets of air conditioning style aircraft A virtual instrumentation that can change the color of light or type of indicators, on the tunnel stands knob gearshift control that comes out when the engine (there are also racing “palette” to the steering wheel), the seats are equipped massage and ventilation, the air conditioner is adjusted to four areas, the facility is 1,200-watt stereo and a big screen Navigator displays and TV. Rear passengers, if not better more than 2, are comfortable, but the space abounds in truly long-wheelbase variant and the boot is not quite a square long arms for a car well over 5 meters.

The advanced content then there really under the skin. The Jaguar is the structure of the newly formed entirely of aluminum (50% recycled), like the previous generation, and the fight against the weight to drive down consumption, marks further progress (we are below the 1,800 kg for some versions), while performance are assigned to units more powerful derivation XF: a V6 3-liter diesel with 275 hp, with the beauty of 600 Nm of torque for shooting lightning from low revs, and two 5-liter V8 gasoline, aspirated and turbo, from 385 and 510 Hp. Latter is intended to deal with the engines Porsche, Aston and Maserati, pushing the big car from 0 to 100 in less than 5 seconds. Other goodies, the energy recovery system under braking and suspension electronic control with three selectable modes of trim which, together with 6-speed automatic transmission from the steps very fast and practically unnoticeable, permitting handling taste decidedly mixed on the sports that closely resembles the coaches XK, confirming that the role of a limousine, after all, fits the XJ too. Careful slimming and thrusters latest generation also allow to declare decent mileage for half so opulent: 7 l/100 km average with 11.3 or 12.1 with diesel and gasoline.

In europe from late May, the big Jaguar sedan goes to noble battle with opponents rather than moving forward the hands of prices in comparison to the younger sister XF: here starts from 83,450 euros to get to 138,400. We speak of anyway cars from really rich and then Standard Equipment competitive with rivals, however, often forced to resort with optional dear.