For years, it appeared that the chaps at Jaguar and Land Rover were having a contest to see which design could last longer, the Jaguar XJ or the Land Rover Range Rover. Fortunately (for both iconic vehicles), Ian Callum came along and transformed Jaguar’s flagship sedan from an aging artifact into a timeless beauty. Although the term “luxury sedan” seems to be used pretty loosely around the industry these days, the reinvented Jaguar XJ is a stunning display of lavish luxury mixed in with a sexy design and exhilarating performance.
The 2011 Jaguar XJ is essentially offered in six flavors (three trim levels and two wheelbase lengths) ranging from the “base” XJ which starts at $72,700 up to the XJL Supersport that tips the price scales at $113,200. Right in the middle is the XJ Supercharged that was used for this review with its $87,700 starting price; after factoring options and the destination charge, this car had an as-tested price of $88,950. Buying a car like the Jaguar XJ doesn’t come cheap, but Jaguar has priced the XJ Supercharged competitively enough that it undercuts some cars in this class that are far less sporty and can’t compete with the sexy styling. Jaguar tossed us the keys to its sleek new XJ to show us what life is like when a car delivers as much beauty and as it does brawn.