Personally, as one that doesn't worship at the altar of gadgetry, I found the touch-screen interface overly convoluted. Having to scroll through multiple screens, to adjust the fan settings or find the seat warmers ranks right up there with BMW's iDrive on the annoying scale.
Double stitched leather seats are infinitely adjustable, heated and ventilated, the controls – like Mercedes-Benz – are located on the door panels. They're squishy and comfortable with plenty of leg room, but the rear seats are little more than a well-upholstered parcel area.
In keeping with Jaguar's long tradition my tester's centre console and dash features beautifully grained real wood, augmented with brushed aluminum accents.
In place of a conventional gear shifter, there's the JaguarDrive Selector, a rotary knob that rises from the centre console once the "start" button is fired. A small piece of overt showmanship, its silly gimmickry almost detracts from the overall sensuous elegance of the cabin.
Without making too many clichéd references to its badge, the XK really is quite cat-like. Rounded, yet lithe, the low-slung XK is a discreet predator. Content to purr quietly and comfortably on the daily commute, the XK is a peerless grand tourer, plush and luxurious.
Underhood, there's a 5.0 litre, 385 hp engine that's only marginally less powerful than the previous supercharged XK-R model.
At idle, there's a lovely, throaty burble which gives way to an angry snarl when the gas pedal's tromped and the big cat wakes up. It's a glorious sound that never failed to send a delicious chill down my back. With a 0-100 km/h time of 5.5 seconds, the XK has a fuel consumption rate of 17.1/8.0 L/100 km city/highway, but I averaged around 13.2 L/100 km during my drive. I found that high-revving wail just too hard to resist.
Self-adjusting dampers deliver a ride that's firm, yet compliant. But for driving enthusiasts who want to unleash more performance, there's a driver selectable Dynamic mode that stiffens up the dampers, for tighter cornering and harder acceleration. The already responsive steering reacts to inputs even more quickly.
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| My tester's centre console and dash features beautifully grained real wood, augmented with brushed aluminum accents. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com) |
Double stitched leather seats are infinitely adjustable, heated and ventilated, the controls – like Mercedes-Benz – are located on the door panels. They're squishy and comfortable with plenty of leg room, but the rear seats are little more than a well-upholstered parcel area.
In keeping with Jaguar's long tradition my tester's centre console and dash features beautifully grained real wood, augmented with brushed aluminum accents.
In place of a conventional gear shifter, there's the JaguarDrive Selector, a rotary knob that rises from the centre console once the "start" button is fired. A small piece of overt showmanship, its silly gimmickry almost detracts from the overall sensuous elegance of the cabin.
Without making too many clichéd references to its badge, the XK really is quite cat-like. Rounded, yet lithe, the low-slung XK is a discreet predator. Content to purr quietly and comfortably on the daily commute, the XK is a peerless grand tourer, plush and luxurious.
Underhood, there's a 5.0 litre, 385 hp engine that's only marginally less powerful than the previous supercharged XK-R model.
At idle, there's a lovely, throaty burble which gives way to an angry snarl when the gas pedal's tromped and the big cat wakes up. It's a glorious sound that never failed to send a delicious chill down my back. With a 0-100 km/h time of 5.5 seconds, the XK has a fuel consumption rate of 17.1/8.0 L/100 km city/highway, but I averaged around 13.2 L/100 km during my drive. I found that high-revving wail just too hard to resist.
Self-adjusting dampers deliver a ride that's firm, yet compliant. But for driving enthusiasts who want to unleash more performance, there's a driver selectable Dynamic mode that stiffens up the dampers, for tighter cornering and harder acceleration. The already responsive steering reacts to inputs even more quickly.
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| Underhood, there's a 5.0 litre, 385 hp engine. (Photo: Jaguar) |