Jaguar XJ 2013 News

The Jaguar saloon, priced from $198,000, aims to hit hard at the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class Australian market after crunching its rivals on the UK and China showroom floors. Jaguar Australia boss Kevin Goult says he wants 120 sales in 2011 and expects the six months left in 2010 to attract at least 60 buyers. The first Australian delivery is later this month. In Jaguar’s 75th year, the XJ appears as a fluid extension of designer Ian Callum’s 2009 Jaguar XF model – despite the XJ being penned before the XF – and so presents as an extremely attractive car that shines over the more masculine shape of the 7-Series. "We are getting a lot of interest from existing Jaguar owners but more importantly, a very big audience from BMW, Audi and Mercedes drivers," Goult says. "I expect it to reproduce the success, but on a slightly smaller scale, of that in Britain and China." While its bread-and-butter rivals include the BMW and Mercedes, Jaguar believes the high-performance 375kW Supersports will also appeal to buyers also looking at the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and Maserati Quattroporte. Goult says one of the XJ's biggest attractions is its ability to be customised. "Even the badge at the centre of the cabin's dash, can be individualised to be inscribed with your name, your wife's name... anybody’s name,"’ he says. "The version shown at the car’s launch this week on the Gold Coast had designer Ian Callum's signature. You can have what you want. It's your car." DRIVETRAINS The XJ initially arrives with three engines and will be boosted later in the year with the awesome Supersports 375kW/625Nm supercharged 5-litre V8. There is also talk of the XF’s 3-litre V6 petrol coming later as Jaguar prepares this engine for the diesel-hating US market. The three engines for Australia now are the 202kW/600Nm 3-litre V6 turbo-diesel; 283kW/515Nm 5-litre V8; and low-boost supercharged 5-litre V8 with 346kW and 575Nm. The engines all mate to ZF six-speed automatics with three driver modes and steering column-mounted paddle shifters. Jaguar then bolts these drivetrain choices into standard 3032mm wheelbase and long wheelbase (3157mm) aluminium bodies that weigh as little as 1755kg – a far cry from many of its steel-bodies rivals and remarkably around the same weight as its sister XF models. JAGUAR XJ AT A GLANCE Pricing V6 turbo-diesel Premium Luxury SWB $198,800 V6 turbo-diesel Premium Luxury LWB $206,800 V8 petrol Premium Luxury SWB $251,000 V8 petrol Premium Luxury LWB $259,000 V8 petrol Portfolio SWB $274,000 V8 supercharged Portfolio SWB $311,000 V8 supercharged Supersport SWB $354,800 V8 supercharged Supersport LWB $367,000. Standard features Cruise control Dual-zone climatic airconditioning 600Watt 1-CD/iPod 12-speaker audio Bi-xenon headlights with washers Heated front and rear glass Rain-sensing wipers Metallic paint Rear park sensors/camera Electric boot open/close Panoramic glass roof Keyless entry/start Virtual instrumentation Interactive voice command, Bluetooth Leather upholstery. Optional 1200-Watt Bowers & Wilkins 20-speaker audio Active ventilated front/rear seats Adaptive cruise control. Specifications Body: four-door aluminium/magnesium saloonEngines: 3-litre V6 202kW/600Nm bi-turbodiesel; 5-litre 283kW/515Nm petrol V8; 5-litre 346kW/575Nm supercharged petrol V8; 375kW/625Nm supercharged petrol V8 SupersportTransmission: 6-speed ZF automatic; steering column paddles; three-modesFuel economy: 7.0 l/100km (diesel); 11.3 l/100km (V8); 12.1 /100km (supercharged V8)0-100km/h: 6.4sec (diesel); 5.7sec (V8); 5.2sec (s/c V8); 4.9sec (Supersport)Dimensions: length: 5122mm (SWB), 5247mm (LWB), width: 2110mm (inc mirrors), height: 1448mm, wheelbase: 3032mm (SWB); 3157mm (LWB)Weight: 1796kg (diesel SWB); 1755kg (V8 SWB); 1892kg (s/c V8); 1915kg (V8 Supersport LWB)

The Geneva Motor Show is known as the stylist's exhibition. It's the chance for high-end European brands to display their latest creations. So it was appropriate Jaguar chose the classy Swiss city in which to unwrap its revised XJ sedan. The XJ, with many visual changes, will reach local showrooms late this year. The engines carry over from the 2.7-litre twin-turbo TDVi V6 diesel to a 3.0-litre petrol V6 and up to the 4.2-litre supercharged and naturally aspirated V8s. For next year there is a new Jaguar Growler badge, revised front bumper and air intakes, XK-style vents in the front mudguards, lower body sills, new alloys, subtle rear bootlid spoiler and new mirrors with integrated indicators. Inside, the leather and wood cabin gets heated front seats and rear legroom has been improved, thanks to more scalloped front seatbacks. Bluetooth connectivity pairs with up to five mobile phone choices and hands-free activation. In Europe, the entry-level Executive (2.7 and 3.0) gets 19-inch, 10-spoke Carelia wheels from the XK and a heated windscreen. The diesel-only XJ Sport Premium adds "R" seats with leather seat facings, aluminium veneer, satellite-navigation, black side window surrounds and 20-inch Cremona wheels. Executive-based XJ Sovereign models (2.7, 3.0 and 4.2) add 16-way electric front seats, satellite navigation, bi-xenon headlights and five-spoke, 19-inch Polaris wheels. The range-topping XJR has alloy-look mudguard vents, an R-badged gearshift, black brake calipers and front-seat cooling. The XJ is something of a slow-burner on the sales charts for cars worth more than $100,000. Last year Jaguar sold only 59 XJ sedans compared with 578 S-Classes and 293 7-Series.