Jalopnik: 2010 Jaguar XJ: The New Cat Revealed! [New Cars]

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The 2010 Jaguar XJ has shed its retro skin to set a new course for the company's flagship sedan. The future of the XJ will include a 510 HP supercharged V8, aluminum body, and virtual instruments. Also, it'll look XF-ier!

Starting with the obvious, Design Director Ian Callum has managed to both underwhelm and surprise with this newest Jaguar. At first glance, it's almost indistinguishable from the Jaguar XFR, taking much of the nose and sleek profile from the four-door coupe.

Upon further investigation the new XJ reveals a longer and more muscular profile, with a narrow greenhouse that slopes into an elongated and blacked-out C-pillar. The addition of a full panoramic glass roof adds another new dimension to the car. Whatever you're feelings on the new design, it's clear this is an almost complete departure from the previous XJ.

Mechanically, the Jaguar XJ isn't quite as drastic a step forward. The platform is new, featuring a significant use of aluminum in the structure, but the first batch of engines will be a trio of the 5.0-liter Gen III direct-injection V8. The base XJ and XJL will include the naturally-aspirated version good for 385 HP and a 5.4-second 0-to-60 MPH jaunt. The XJ Supercharged and XJL Supercharged models will be fitted with the same engine supercharged for 470 HP and a 5.2-second time.

The new high performance model, perhaps a stand-in for the XJR or merely a placeholder, is the XJ and XJL Supersport models. This will feature the XFR's supercharged V8 good for 510 HP and a 4.7-second 0-to-60 MPH time. All of these will get Jaguar's six-speed, shift-by-wire transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The biggest upgrade on the inside, which includes the usual mix of wood, chrome and piano black surfaces, is probably the "virtual instrument" panel, which includes three round hi-def screens and no physical read-out at all. This allows the pods to adjust themselves to the driving conditions. For instance, if you switch into Dynamic mode the dials change to a red hue and bold the gear position indicator — which turns red as you approach the red line.

ALL NEW JAGUAR XJ – IN SUMMARY

The all new Jaguar XJ brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury.

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Sleek, sporting and sophisticated, it offers a seductive mix of striking

design, breathtaking performance, refined luxury and sophisticated

engineering.

Building on the success of the new XK and XF models, the introduction of

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the all new XJ is a landmark for the revitalized Jaguar brand. Clearly

positioned as the company's ultimate four-door flagship, it extends the

appeal of the legendary XJ line to a new generation of customers.

Jaguars are renowned for their elegant, sporting lines and the all new XJ,

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with its fluid, contemporary style, is the boldest interpretation yet of Design

Director Ian Callum's vision for Jaguar in the 21st century.

A panoramic glass roof is an integral part of the all new XJ's design,

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enabling the car to have a lower, more streamlined roofline, while

dramatically enhancing the feeling of light and space inside.

Standard and long wheelbase models are available from launch. The long

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wheelbase offers an even more sumptuous and refined environment for

rear-seat passengers with an additional 5 inches of legroom. The XJ's

largest-in-class trunk features power opening and closing for convenient

access to the 18.4 cu. ft. storage space (without alloy space saver spare

wheel).

The all new XJ cabin blends elegant, contemporary design with the

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comfort, luxury and unmistakable sporting style of a Jaguar. Chrome and

piano black detailing provides an eye-catching contrast to the beautifully-

crafted leather and veneer surfaces.

To complement the all new cabin design is a level of choice in colors,

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veneers and leathers not seen before in a Jaguar. The four models – XJ,

XJL, Supercharged and Supersport – blend together the different elements to allow the customer to tailor the car to suit their personal

tastes. The ultimate expression of this is the Supersport model, available

by custom order only, with specification including a leather roof-lining,

semi-aniline leather seats and veneers with laser inlays.

Advanced new technologies have allowed Jaguar's interior designers to

create an environment more akin to a state-of-the-art living space than a

simple car cabin. Stunning, 12.3-inch high-definition Virtual Instruments

complement the 8-inch Touch-screen, which displays vehicle functions.

Premium surround sound options include the top-of-the-range 1200-watt

Bowers & Wilkins system which is comparable in audio quality to the

world's best in-home entertainment. Advanced infotainment features also

include hard drive-based audio and navigation systems, and

comprehensive connectivity for portable audio and video devices via the

powerful Media Hub.

The all new XJ's beauty is much more than skin-deep: it is constructed

using Jaguar's aerospace-inspired aluminum body technology, which

makes the XJ lighter than its rivals by at least 300lbs. These technologies

– now developed into an even more impressive new generation of the XJ

– provides benefits to performance, handling and fuel economy, while

delivering increased strength, refinement and safety.

Proven Jaguar dynamic technologies are taken to new levels in the all

new XJ. Features such as air suspension, Adaptive Dynamics

(continuously variable damping), Active Differential Control and quick-ratio

power steering deliver the blend of responsive, dynamic handling and

refined, supple ride expected from a Jaguar.

The all new XJ benefits from the most advanced powertrains ever in a

Jaguar, combining high performance with fuel efficient technologies such

as direct injection. In the U.S. market, customers will have a choice of

three engines based on model, all coupled to a shift-by-wire, six-speed

automatic transmission controlled by the JaguarDrive Selectorâ„¢ or

steering wheel-mounted paddles:

5.0-liter 385hp AJ-V8 Gen III naturally aspirated direct-injection V8 -

0-60mph in 5.4 secs (0-100kph in 5.7 secs), in the XJ and XJL

models

o 5.0-liter 470hp AJ-V8 Gen III supercharged direct-injection V8 - 0-

60mph in 4.9 secs (0-100kph in 5.2 secs), in the XJ Supercharged

and XJL Supercharged models

o 5.0-liter 510hp AJ-V8 Gen III supercharged direct-injection V8 - 0-

60mph in 4.7 secs (0-100kph in 4.9 secs), in the XJ Supersport

and XJL Supersport models

Jaguar has built upon its leading quality performance using the latest

‘virtual' product development technologies. This approach features an

obsessive attention to detail, with almost 40,000 quality-specific

assessments during the development stage.

The all new XJ brings new standards of sustainability to the luxury vehicle

segment. The lightweight aluminum structure – with 50 percent recycled

material – underpinned by a lifecycle approach to vehicle design and

manufacture, enables the all new XJ to minimize its carbon footprint. This

alone creates a potential savings of three tons of CO2 per vehicle,

compared to a bodyshell made from new aluminum.

The Jaguar brand has been acknowledged with a joint first ranking in a

vehicle dependability study in 2009. Jaguar's obsessive attention to quality

and service has also resulted in #1 rankings in sales satisfaction and

customer service.

The all new XJ offers extremely attractive cost of ownership with

impressive fuel economy across the range, high predicted residual values

and 15,000-mile service intervals.

In the U.S., the all new XJ can be ordered now. Delivery of first customer

cars will begin in early 2010.

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