Jaguar / XJ / range
Overview
WITH higher technology and lower weight, the new, fourth-generation Jaguar XJ poses a more serious threat to the Teutonic luxury car establishment – over which Jaguar claims its new Big Cat represents a sportier proposition.
The supercharged XJs compete on price with Porsche’s Panamera and the Maserati Quattroporte, a car the new Jag also physically resembles from some angles.
If sales of the similarly styled XF are anything to go by, the XJ should continue the renewal of Jaguar's fortunes in Australia.
The task of choosing a luxury car just got harder.
Model release date: July 2010
Previous model
JAGUAR’S third-generation Mark 3 XJ arrived in 2004 with a light aluminium body, marking the return of the XJ6 badge, this time with a V6 engine, alongside XJ8 3.5-litre and 4.2-litre V8 variants and the 298kW super-charged XJR.
However, the petrol V6 – a reworked Ford unit – was relatively short-lived, being retired in 2007 when it was effectively replaced by a 2.7-litre 152kW/435Nm V6 diesel.
The facelift – dubbed X358 – was an attempt by the Coventry-based firm to widen the big cat’s appeal by improving interiors and upping standard specification across the range.
A characterful and unique proposition since its inception, the Mark 3 gained praise for its technology and dynamic qualities but ultimately, the pipe-and-slippers styling turned away buyers and crippled sales of the car that pioneered aluminium bodies and air suspension for Jaguar.
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