Jaguar's Big, Soft, Powerful Cat

What we like:

The supersmooth design

the seats

the room

the handling.

What we dislike:

Funny boot shape

rear lights

consumption.

The Jaguar has a distinctive ride; this is a driver’s car that doubles as a limo. It is way more involving than some of the big German battleships, with a delightfully responsive feel despite the length, virtually no body roll from the adjustable suspension and a feeling of connectedness despite the comfort of the sumptuous sets. This a Jaguar and the heritage shows.

Inside is quiet, refined and comfortable, and the discreet warning/assist systems for parking (selectable surround cameras, guides), highway driving (lane proximity sensors, closing vehicle sensors) and safety (multiple airbags, ice traction sensor, pedestrian impact sensor) all allow the driver to concentrate on the pleasure of just getting there.

There was a slight lag if you need to accelerate urgently, but in normal driving the transmission was so good you don’t know which gear you are in unless you look. Combined with the accessible power from the V6, the XJ can surprise many sporty hatchbacks without spilling the martinis in the rear drinks tray. Something of a unique achievement. One minor irritation was the slightly coarse eco-stop engine-off feature; stopping and starting produced a discernable shudder.

In Summary

The Jaguar XJ LWB is a very impressive car. It looks like nothing else, all muted style, elegance and deep down beauty – a bit of an Adele compared to Lexus’s Lady Gaga. For a car that is well over 5 metres long and carries four passengers in sumptuous luxury, it handles. And its standard levels of safety equipment, enhanced by the new much more user-friendly control setup are as good as any. It’s just that at a touch over $400,000 it is a lot of money. If you want to do the corporate thing and be marked out as a sensible executive, put your money on a BMW, an Audi or a Merc.

But if you want to enjoy your car, and put that above being one of the herd, take the time to drive the new XJ. You won’t be disappointed despite the price.

Credits: Story and Photos by Jeremy Torr