Initially, when viewing the new car at last year's Detroit auto show, I could hardly tell it apart from the 2003 XJ. While it's hard to improve upon perfection, I was expecting the brand that was once synonymous with breathtaking new designs, such as the
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| While it's hard to improve upon perfection, I was expecting a new design to go along with the newly developed aluminum spaceframe. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
XK120, E-Type, Mark II sedan and Series I, II and III XJs, just to name a few groundbreakers, to come up with something a little more advanced. After all, the brand's engineers had just spent mega-millions developing a sophisticated aluminum spaceframe to hold the body panels in place, why not celebrate with a modern interpretation of Jaguar? Something a little more rakish perhaps, just as elegant but fresher. As it is, the new XJ looks much like Jaguar's entry-level X-Type from the front. The rear end is indistinguishable from the old car except for a few subtle trim details and the profile, well, that's its weakest angle. Its tall stance combined with a more formal C-pillar gives the XJ a mid-'80s domestic sedan appearance that doesn't sit well with me.
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| The rear end is indistinguishable from the old XJ except for a few subtle trim details. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
But it makes for good sitting inside. Now the roofline is raised enough to accommodate taller rear passengers, a big complaint from customers of the outgoing model. The wheelbase is substantially extended too, from 2,870 mm (113.0 inches) and 2,995 mm (117.9 inches) in the old model's shortest and longest lengths respectively, to 3,033 mm (119.4 inches) overall. This makes for tons of rear seat legroom, another sore point of the 2003 car. Its taller, more bulbous trunk is also expanded, from 360 L (12.7 cu ft) to 470 (16.6), a giant size improvement in cargo volume. Funnily enough, what makes the new model lose points in exterior styling is exactly what makes it so much better in every other way.
