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Writer's Notes
Test Vehicle:
2004 Jaguar XJ
MSRP:$59,995 (XJ8), $68,995 (Vanden Plas), $74,995 (XJR)
Showroom appeal:
Traditional Jag luxury with a strong tech upgrade
Plus:
Stylish exterior, upsized interior, with typically upscale Jaguar leather and woodwork
Minus:
Cluttered center dash controls, trunk is bigger but shallow
The Competition:
Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8L, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS430
The alloy may have changed, but the car still retains many classic XJ styling cues.
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If much of the interest shown for the new, seventh generation XJ is skin deep, Jaguar has no one to blame but themselves. Jaguar has redefined its big sedan by wrapping it in aluminum. The approach pays broad spectrum dividends - stiffer, lighter, tighter construction, yielding higher performance, better mileage and more room.
The unibody build process connects the components with rivets (3,180 of them)and epoxy adhesive. Rivets are stronger than spot welds. Aluminum is lighter than steel. The gains are appreciable - a body structure that is 60% stiffer and 40% lighter. The new XJ is 68 lb. lighter than the mid-size S-Type, almost 200 lb. lighter than the previous XJ and, the company claims, some 570 lb. lighter than its key competitors. Lest some confuse light with flimsy, Jaguar points out that the bake hardened sheet skin is actually more resistant to dings than conventional metal, with better corrosion resistance.
"Using aluminum throughout, we have created a car that takes technology to new heights. The new XJ is without doubt the most advanced Jaguar ever."
A stiffer structure means less body flex, which in turn frees up the suspension to concentrate on ride and handling without having to compensate for a chassis' limitations. The XJ platform houses a new, double wishbone suspension front and back. Air suspension replaces traditional coils on all models. Overseeing all is Jaguar's adaptive damping system known, aptly enough, as CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension). CATS works to optimize handling and ride under all circumstances. Driven hard, the system stiffens the dampers to maximize control. Driven softly, the dampers are likewise softened, to enhance ride quality. The means may be new but the ends feel the same: Jaguar's characteristic supple driving feel. Ride/handling is biased understandably towards the luxury side of the ledger on XJ8 and Vanden Plas models, and sport stiffened on XJR. The new XJ - particularly the R models - drives smaller than its size.
Two variations of the 4.2 liter AJ-V8 are offered for 2004. The normally aspirated motor found in XJ8 and high-luxury Vanden Plas models makes 294 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 303 lb. ft. of torque @ 4,100 rpm. Both figures are up 7% over previous levels. The performance oriented XJR offers a robust 390 hp (@6,100 rpm) and 399 lb. ft. of torque (3,500 rpm), courtesy of a Roots-type supercharger. Coupling the power to pavement is the responsibility of the ZF six speed automatic transmission. It's a nice pairing - the ZF stretches across the XJ's broad power band, providing ample off the line push and fine, kick-down passing power. Tromp down on the pedal and the transmission holds you nicely in gear. The new 4.2 liter motor is capable of a 6.0 second 0-60 run, according to company figures - .6 faster than the former 4.0 cars. Capably quick. Unstressed, too. At 75 mph, the 4,2 is loping along at 2,000 rpm.
All this and more so for XJR models. The phat cat generates substantial thrust, apparent at virtually any engine speed. Company figures cite a 0-60 best of 5.0 seconds (vs. 5.4 in the former model) - this for a vehicle weighing in at 3,948 lb. Speeds are electronically governed at 121 (XJ8, Vanden Plas) and 155 (XJR).
One benefit of the lighter weight aluminum construction is better gas mileage. EPA estimates that the new 4.2 will get 18 city/28 highway (vs. 17/24, on the former model). The blown AJ motor, meanwhile, is rated at 17/24 (vs. 16/22 last year). Jaguar claims the XJ8's mileage to be best in class and, with a 22.5 gallon gas tank, estimates the theoretical cruising range to be +/- 500 miles.
The alloy may have changed, but the car still retains many classic XJ styling cues. Though longer, wider and taller than before, there is much traditional Jaguar still in evidence style-wise and otherwise. This is all to the good, considering that previous generations of these elegant sedans have made many a list of top, post-war styles. As before, the less chrome the cars wear, the better they look - at least to these eyes. Blacking out the bright work, adding the mesh grille and taller rims on the XJR updates the car's profile and adds just the right touch of menace to the civility.
The exterior of the former XJ may have been timeless, but the interior was in many ways, just dated. Most noticeably lacking was rear seat room - a definite detractor in a luxury sedan, especially given the size of the increasingly ample average American. This time 'round, there is adult-sized room in either row. More space and more options, too. A rear seat multi-media center is available, with 6.5" LCD screens embedded in the headrests, and separate audio/video controls.
Another bone picked in previous XJ's was trunk room, remedied by an upsizing for 2004. With a capacity of 16.6 cubic feet, the trunk is long and wide, but shallow. The biggest boot in company history, it is said to be capable of holding four sets of golf clubs.
Up front, the usual cushy comforts of wood and leather await you. A 320 watt sound system competes for your ear with the healthy growl of the 4.2 when you crack the throttle. A DVD-based navigation system is offered, with visual guidance channeled through a 7.0" LCD touch screen. With or without the nav system, the button-busy design of the center console is a lot to take in while driving.
XJ is Jaguar's core car. Since the first XJ made its début in 1968, over 800,000 have been produced - more than half of all the Jaguars ever built. The new car's aluminum alloy monocoque construction is distinctive, though others in this segment (like the Audi A8L) make extensive use of aluminum. Still, these two models are about as similar as chalk and cheese, and the foregoing pair are similarly distinct from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Lexus LS430 and BMW's 7-Series. And that's the beauty of it. The high end luxury car ranks are populated by several unique, quality choices. With the new XJ's, Jaguar has pulled their big sedan to the leading edge technologically, while taking pains not to lose their traditional 'Jaguarness'.
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---Story and photos by Dan Lyons
photos © Dan Lyons 2003
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