What is probably the first write-up of a ‘new’ Jaguar here and certainly the most eye-catching new Jaguar at least to my eyes, is the Jaguar XJ. The Jaguar XJ (codenamed X351) is one of the first models to be rolled out by Jaguar since the acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover by Tata Motors in 2008 (do check out an earlier write-up ‘The History of Jaguar’). Being a new model as well as being launched by the new owners, the XJ was certainly a car that had to impress its critics and its German competitors.
The new XJ
came with a short wheel-base model as well as a long wheel-base model known as
the XJL. The XJL, even in Malaysia is a more common sight when compared with
its short wheel-base counterpart as it was launched before the shorter sibling.
There are a number of engine variants available which include petrol as well as
diesel. The smallest being the 2 litre petrol inline 4 turbo-charged up to the
biggest which is the 5 litre V8 petrol super-charged. There were two
transmission variants available which were the 6-speed automatic for the
pre-2012 models and the 8-speed automatic for the post-2012 models.
The older XJ (left) and the newer XJ, more than 30 years apart
Design
wise, it was the brainchild of renowned Jaguar designer Ian Callum. It was a
totally new design away from all previous XJs with its curves and a swept-back
rear. As the previous XJ, the new XJ also had a full aluminium body which kept
the weight of the car low even though it was huge in size. The XJ also has an
impressive interior which of course kept getting better with the higher
specification models.
I
personally was given an opportunity to feel this car thanks to a few good
friends of mine. The model available to me was the 2014 XJL 2 litre petrol
turbo-charged which featured the 8 speed automatic transmission. At first, I
was a little sceptical about its power as though it was aluminium bodied, it
was still a huge car with a relatively small 2 litre inline 4 engine in it. But
after driving it and pushing it a little I had a different opinion almost
immediately as it still possessed the roar in it being a Jaguar. All in it was
a great car but I did miss one thing, which are its traditional gauges as this
models comes with an LCD screen for its gauges. I’ve attached some pics below
together with a video for you to have a closer look at it.
The video
