The great leap forward
Finally, it’s the moment of truth. Since Jaguar unveiled the new XJ at London’s Saatchi Gallery last July, they’ve taken it to shows, let us crawl over it, shown us round the factory – and even let us photograph a non-running prototype for Professional Driver’s front cover last September.
But they haven’t let the motoring press have a drive – until now. Since the unveil, prototypes have been extensively tested and de-bugged – and now we’re ready to roll. So we’re at an elegant chateau just outside Paris, ready to spend two days in the company of arguably the most significant chauffeur car in Jaguar’s history, as well as the people who designed and built it.
We’ll not only drive the car – we’ll also experience it from a customer’s point of view, being chauffeured into Paris for dinner. Jaguar understands that a lot of XJs will be used as chauffeur cars, and it’s significant that the long-wheelbase diesel versions are available at launch, alongside the more esoteric “driver’s cars” such as the Supersport, a short-wheelbase model powered by a 500bhp, 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine.
Jaguar is launching the XJ at a time when all its major competitors have new or at least facelifted models. The BMW 7-series has only been on the market for a little over a year, while the Mercedes S-Class has just received a facelift. Audi’s all-new A8, which, like the XJ, uses an aluminium body, will go on sale later this year.
So given this strong competition, Jaguar has taken a bold route with the XJ;s design – make something that looks nothing like any of its rivals. While that triumvirate of German cruisers all follow a traditional three-box approach, the XJ is long and low, with a swooping coupe-like roofline. The front of the car takes the look of the successful Jaguar XF as a starting point, but with more exaggerated headlamps and an even bolder new-style Jaguar grille.
The rear of the car gets even more radical, with hidden C-pillars and a back-end that’s already controversial – for a start, there’s no ‘Jaguar’ on the back – just the leaping cat, and XJ or XJL badging. And a bulbous boot is flanked by sweeping vertical LED rear lights that run up and over the rear quarters of the car.
Static reveals of the car have highlighted its length – but on the road, the wide, low, purposeful stance of the car is really highlighted. It looks like a big, imposing car on the road – albeit a rather sleek and sporty one. As we’re chauffeured up to Paris, we travel in convoy – giving us a close look at other XJs from all angles. And without a doubt, the XJ turns heads, in a way that an understated S-class. 7-series or A8 could never dream of doing. It’s not a car for a discreet arrival. The XJ screams – ‘I’m here, where’s the red carpet?’
