Autocar uncovers Jaguar's next XJ

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Source: AutoCar

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Jaguar is putting the finishing touches to what could become the most dramatic and innovative new model the company will ever build - the replacement for the XJ limousine - and we can bring you exclusive images of the car two-and-a-half years before its launch.

Autocar has spoken to insiders who have seen the design and have revealed that when the crucial vehicle, codenamed X351, begins production in late 2009, it will rock the luxury market.

With years of massive losses and what’s widely regarded as a series of major product planning blunders behind them, Jaguar and Ford executives will throw caution to the wind with project X351. Destined to be even more radical than the XF, which replaces the S-Type later this year, X351 is being pitched against some of the most glamorous and desirable cars on the planet.

Jaguar’s marketing specialists are already showing a full-size model of the car — accurate inside and out — to potential customers, and our artists impression (above) is informed by the very latest information available on the car.

According to sources, Jaguar thinks the new XJ could be pitched against rivals as wide-ranging as the Mercedes CLS, Maserati Quattroporte and even the Bentley Flying Spur. Pricing for the top-end model could break through the £85k barrier.

The design blueprint

Although the lightweight aluminium chassis of the current XJ will be carried over, the car’s upper structure has been redesigned. This has allowed Jaguar’s design team to design a car with a coupé-like flowing roofline.

One source who has seen the new XJ described it as “looking like the C-XF’s features had been draped over an Aston Martin Rapide”. The windscreen is also said to extend back into the roof panel.

Aside from a low roof and high tail combination, the new car is said to have a narrower nose than the C-XF, with narrower headlights (likely to be LED units), although it retains the large, square grille that made its debut on the C-XF. One proposal is for the grille’s mesh to be made up of hundreds of tiny Jaguar ‘leaper’ cutouts.

At the rear, the car is said to have tail-lights similar to those on the Bentley Continental GT but which wrap over onto the rear deck. Between the rear lights is a distinctive flat panel, which features a prominent Jaguar ‘leaper’ badge.

On the inside

Autocar’s sources reserved their greatest praise for the XJ’s interior, which one eyewitness described as “space age”. According to our information, the car’s interior design theme is close to that seen in the C-XF concept, but with addition of some hi-tech fixtures and fittings.

One of the cabin’s most radical ideas are ‘proximity switches’. Also due to appear on a future version of the iPod, proximity switches do not require physical contact between the driver and the electrical switching mechanism. Sources say much of the XJ’s switchgear is nothing more than symbols etched onto glass sheets suspended clear of the dashboard architecture. Touching the symbol activates the switch, and the glass sheets are elegantly back-lit at night, so interior lighting can be activated by the occupant simply moving his hand in the vicinity of the lighting units.

On the centre console, the XJ gets the retracting transmission selector knob (unlikely to make it to the production XF) and should also get a ‘terrain response’ selector similar to those used in Land Rovers. The C-XF concept also hinted at this with switches grouped around the transmission selector marked ‘Dynamic’, ‘Track’ and ‘Launch’.

Under the skin

X351's chassis and running gear are updates of today’s first-rate set-up, although it’s likely that the rear air springs will be dropped for the option of magnetic dampers, whose characteristics can be altered much more quickly.

The need to re-engineer the XJ’s upper structure means PAG’s new straight six engine can be fitted. A 300bhp light-pressure turbo is a possibility; Jaguar’s all-new 5.0-litre V8 and supercharged V8 are racing certainties. Four-wheel drive isn't though; Jaguar's engineers have come up with a suitable system.

A vision becoming real

X351 is the culmination of a frustrating period for Jaguar’s design team. With the retro-styled X-Type, S-Type and XJ already signed off, Ian Callum was forced to play a long game.

He described the radical 2002 RD-6 concept as a conversation between him and the Jaguar management about the need to take a completely different design direction. However, he had clearly mapped out his future vision for Jaguar some time ago. In an interview in spring 2003 he said, “In my view, by 2010 Jaguar will have the reputation as the most modern car on the road.”

Back then, few industry observers would have believed him. But with Ford willing to back Jaguar for another crucial few years, it looks like Callum’s vision could be vindicated. Whether drivers can finally be persuaded to buy Jaguars in sustainable volumes remains to be seen.
 
It is an impressive collection of ideas and themes, especially for Jaguar, and I'm actually rather excited to see how things work. Despite the fact that I prefer the old, "stuffy" Jaguars, this one should be pretty darn good.
 
It's a new design direction...and that'll put the world on NOTICE. not notice. Not even Notice. NOTICE.
 
Sounds like it will be cool, but a few of the details seem to be a little redundant. I got the image of a completely dark cockpit at night with those lights ramdomly coming on. That would be a little wierd.

At the same time that I will be excited to see this car in showrooms, I will be very sad to see the old XJ go:(. I actually feel like crying right now. To me, that was what Jag was about. Cars reminiscent of the good old days of the British automobile. I will miss this styling, modern yet old fashioned. That was Jaguar's elegance for me.

It would be interesting to see a sporier version somewhere north of 600 hp. though. In four years, that could be very possible. I would also like to see a maybach length version. I see this car takign Jaguar a long ways.

All in all, I am very sad that the old and elegant yet new and modern XJ is gone and this will be purely modern:(.👎 👍
 
Purely modern? Ha. This car has looked the same for the last 40 years. It'll never change, no matter how much we wish it did.
 
Just so everyone is aware...

Jaguar doesn't exist any more. They haven't made any cars since 2001. Their only product is concept cars which show "how Jaguars of the future will look".
 
Really? I don't think it has looked the same for the last 40 years, nor do I think Jaguars new stlye direction is anything like any cars they've made in the past.

And Famine, that is almost true, Jaguar have made some stunning concepts, and a lot of them. They just haven't hit production. The R coupe anyone, F-Type perhaps.
 
Just so everyone is aware...

Jaguar doesn't exist any more. They haven't made any cars since 2001. Their only product is concept cars which show "how Jaguars of the future will look".

And that new coupe - just an Aston in disguise?

I concur with your sentiment though - if I see another Jaguar concept car, I'll throw up. There's got to be a five to one ratio between concept cars and road cars.
 
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To me, the current XJ is a good example of building classically-themed rides that look good no matter what time period they are in. I love the current XJ, and I'm really going to miss it when it goes away. It doesn't need to look like a spaceship to be cool, and I'm kinda mad that Jaguar is going for that look (screw you BMW and Mercedes!).

...But I digress. All we have are conceptual sketches and whatnot, and they may look better in person than they do on paper...
 
With regards to the pictures I saw in Autocar earlier today (much like the one in the first post), the final car will probably be a love it or hate it car. which that style looked fantastic on the new S-Type concept, were talking about a bigger and longer car here. It might look too much like a bloated sportscar if they get it wrong. If they get it right, it could look absolutely stunning. I'll reserve judgment for when I see a proper one.
 
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To me, the current XJ is a good example of building classically-themed rides that look good no matter what time period they are in. I love the current XJ, and I'm really going to miss it when it goes away. It doesn't need to look like a spaceship to be cool, and I'm kinda mad that Jaguar is going for that look (screw you BMW and Mercedes!).

...But I digress. All we have are conceptual sketches and whatnot, and they may look better in person than they do on paper...

There we go! That is exactly what I was shooling for.
 
I sat in the lovely XJ both at the GR and Chicago Auto Shows, and no matter how "old" it may be compared to the competition, it is by-far the car I'd want if I was looking at buying a new large luxury car... Well, as long as I stay away from the S-Class, its almost too good...

But yes, the Jaguar XJ, probably one of my favorite Jaguars ever. Its just too bad we don't get the V6 version here in America, I really think that would have been a great addition to the lineup. Save a bit of money, get a better weight distrobution, not lose too much performance compared to the "standard" V8 XJ. Sounds like a deal to me...
 
Very interesting. It will be a very tough battle between the luxo barges in the following years, as the new 7er, A8 and XJ will all be released around the same time, which is pretty cool.
 
At the same time that I will be excited to see this car in showrooms, I will be very sad to see the old XJ go:(. I actually feel like crying right now. To me, that was what Jag was about. Cars reminiscent of the good old days of the British automobile. I will miss this styling, modern yet old fashioned. That was Jaguar's elegance for me.

There's always Bristol *shrugs*
 
I haven't seen too many Bristol dealers around here.

The only option is shipping one over, but I would rather go used.
 
There are no Bristol dealers anywhere. You deal directly with the company, even in the UK. Nobody is ever allowed to test the cars from the factory, and they strictyl discourage customers from lending theirs for media purposes.
 
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To me, the current XJ is a good example of building classically-themed rides that look good no matter what time period they are in. I love the current XJ, and I'm really going to miss it when it goes away. It doesn't need to look like a spaceship to be cool, and I'm kinda mad that Jaguar is going for that look (screw you BMW and Mercedes!).

...But I digress. All we have are conceptual sketches and whatnot, and they may look better in person than they do on paper...

The big problem is: No matter how much guys like you and me like it, it's still not competitive enough in today's marketplace, due to the dated design and lack of interior room and gadgetry compared to the competition. My uncle has an XJR, and while it is far and away the most beautiful car he has, he prefers riding in his 7-series and new S-Class.

Durn it... told him he should've just stumped up the extra cash for the long-wheelbase model. Oh well, spending it on the optional curly black maple was a decision I can't really disagree with... :lol:
 
The big problem is: No matter how much guys like you and me like it, it's still not competitive enough in today's marketplace, due to the dated design and lack of interior room and gadgetry compared to the competition.
The XJ has won car of the year in it's class the last 3 years running and not just by a single source, it's regulalrly been voted as the business car of the year by business men. The current XJ also outsells the 7 series and S class in the UK despite the XJ being produced in much lower number to the 7 series and S class. Basically, the XJ is well and truely up there with them, which is best is going to change depending on who you ask, but the XJ's list of accolades make it pretty clear that even if it's not your cup of tea, it's decent competition.

My uncle has an XJR, and while it is far and away the most beautiful car he has, he prefers riding in his 7-series and new S-Class.

Durn it... told him he should've just stumped up the extra cash for the long-wheelbase model. Oh well, spending it on the optional curly black maple was a decision I can't really disagree with... :lol:
What year and what spec XJ, it's no good talking about room inside and then mention it's a short wheelbase model. The long wheelbase models have no such issues, and I think all XJ's currently sold are long wheelbase.
 
2005, I think. Short wheelbase model. Might be 2004... not so sure. I'd heard they'd dropped that particular woodtrim after he bought his.

The XJ outsells the 7 and the S-Class in the UK, no big shock, but what about elsewhere? The 7 and the S outsell it by a big margin in the US.

The thing about COTY awards, they're decided by people who've actually driven the car. Thus, the Jag will do well, it rides nicely (none of that run-flat thump-a-thump-a nonsense), it feels special and it brings with it a sense of occassion that's miles different from the technowonders that dominate the market.

Heck, the Protege won comparos when it was still out... didn't really help sales all that much. :(

But the problem is getting people in the car. It doesn't help that the X-Type looks (looked) like a baby XJ. That unwise foray into mass-market-ism really hurt Jag.

I always tell my friends: Try it before you buy it. Even if you don't think it'll be good, take a look, you may be pleasantly surprised by a car you weren't expecting to like.
 
2005, I think. Short wheelbase model. Might be 2004... not so sure. I'd heard they'd dropped that particular woodtrim after he bought his.
It's not the current XJ, desptie the current XJ looked remarkably like the old XJ, it's a very different and more upto date car than the last one.

The XJ outsells the 7 and the S-Class in the UK, no big shock, but what about elsewhere? The 7 and the S outsell it by a big margin in the US.
That would be because Jaguar manufacture isn't on the same scal as BMW or Mercedes, Jaguar doesn't produce as many cars perdiod. That's like saying TVR T350C's can't compete with Porsche Boxsters because the Boxster has higher sales. Theres far more Boxsters produced so here logically should be far more sold. TVR still manage to sell every T350C made, that makes it a success. Likewise with Jaguar, they arn't left with much excess with regards to XJ production, far less than BMW or Mercedes. As for the XJ outselling the 7 series and S Class in the UK, we've already shown we're not inclined to buy a poorer product because it's British, if we were then Rover wouldn't have died. Again. We'd all be driving thoes Rover City cars, that the UK press described as "possibly the worst car ever". Sure we might stand up for British cars, because they're British, but when it comes to spending our own money on them, we only will if the cars actually worth it. The XJ is worth ot.

The thing about COTY awards, they're decided by people who've actually driven the car. Thus, the Jag will do well, it rides nicely (none of that run-flat thump-a-thump-a nonsense), it feels special and it brings with it a sense of occassion that's miles different from the technowonders that dominate the market.
The business car of the year award is selected by owners, they take polls of how a car is rated in various categories from Business car readers and then they best car is chosen. The XJ won, as for the XJ not being a technowonder, define a technowonder, inside the XJ is as well specced as any of it's rivals so I don't know what your leading upto there.

Heck, the Protege won comparos when it was still out... didn't really help sales all that much. :(
Which has nothing to do with the Jag XJ, the XJ is a sale success for Jaguar, it's a great car. It's classed as a greeat car, overall people who own them love them, it's credited bty magazines as being a great car. Like I said, I won't call it the best in general myself, because that's something that will change depending on the person you ask. Persoanlly I'd prefer a current XJ over an S Class or 7 series.

But the problem is getting people in the car. It doesn't help that the X-Type looks (looked) like a baby XJ. That unwise foray into mass-market-ism really hurt Jag.
The X-Type is worse than the Mondeo it's based on which isn't a bad car, it's just unexciting and bland. something the X-Type adds more of. The X-Type hasn't actually caused a dip in S-Type or XJ sales though as far as I'm ever seen proof of, it has hurt Jaguar but that's beacuse they can't sell all their X-Types.

I always tell my friends: Try it before you buy it. Even if you don't think it'll be good, take a look, you may be pleasantly surprised by a car you weren't expecting to like.
and that is good advice.
 
Fair enough. I'll say again, I have nothing against the current XJ, but Jaguar does need something more modern to help turn them around.

X-Type - I actually like the Mondeo, but the re-badge didn't bring enough with it to convince many people... hence, a poor decision.

RE: COTY: there's still the problem of bias. Those owners have an XJ because they wanted one. Hence, they love it. Like I said, that sense of occassion is unmatchable, and it's reflected in the owners' satisfaction. But getting butts into the cars is what counts.

You're right, Jag isn't on the same production scale as BMW and Merc, but they'll need good sales from the XK and new XJ to help stay alive. At least Ford has reaffirmed their commitment to the brand, and it looks like the new XK is going to be a certified hit. :)
 
A Little Update: If the next XJ looks anything like as ugly as the refreshened XJ, I give up on Jaguar.
Autozine.org
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Jaguar XJ Facelift

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Jaguar has given the XJ a refresh. It receives a new front bumper – which is undeniably very ugly – and a tiny boot lid spoiler to deliver a more aggressive but less coherent look. Sadly, it spoiled the original design.

Inside, there are new ventilating front seats, digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity added. The front seats also got slimmer seatbacks to enable more legroom to rear passengers.
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Linky

So, what? Did Jag steal that off of a trashed M3? Now that even Jaguar is screwing up their cars, car design is dead.
 
Everything looks good outside of that lower fascia. I'm not sure what Jaguar is thinking, but I'm hoping you can get it taken off...
 
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