2011 Jaguar XJL Supercharged Review

Inside the XJL Supercharged, occupants can get all cozy with sumptuous leather upholstery that smells and feels rich. The dashboard and door panels’ mix of stitched leather, wood and shiny chrome trim come together with a fit and finish that will make you turn your head and check the back seat, you know, just to make sure Queen Elisabeth isn’t sitting there, wondering what the hell happened to her private chauffeur.

XJL’s cabin boasts impeccable fit and finish with a mix of leather, wood and chrome. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)

Alas, if there’s one aspect that didn’t need modernizing, it’s the instrument cluster. Jaguar replaced the traditional needle and dial setup with an impressive colour 12-inch LCD screen, which mimics a traditional needle and dial setup.

We’re not too sure about this; the interactive screen is configurable to the driver’s tastes, and when the Dynamic mode is activated, the black background lighting turns red, but it takes away some of the prestige. Would you trade your Rolex for a Casio digital watch? We didn’t think so.

The centre console’s multimedia system is also a bit of a hassle; the touch-screen display is washed out in direct sunlight, and pressing those on-screen buttons while driving is a recipe for disaster. Happily, most of the climate controls still use rotary dials underneath the screen. The 20-speaker, 1200-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system can provoke nosebleeds.

The main difference between an XJ and an XJL is rear-seat legroom; basically, you get an extra five inches or 134 mm worth of stretch-out room. If you’re planning on driving this kitty yourself, as we strongly recommend firing the chauffeur for your own personal benefit, skip the long-wheelbase version; my kids don’t deserve so much space when they’re aboard, but at least their shoes aren’t getting the front seatbacks dirty.

Base price for an XJ is $88,000, while our XJL Supercharged tester goes for $107,000; if that’s still not expensive enough for you, a 510-hp XJL Supersport retails for $131,000.

In comparison, the brand-new 2011 Audi A8 4.2 FSI starts at $99,200, a Mercedes-Benz S450 retails for $108,000 and a BMW 750i carries a $108,600 MSRP; they all include all-wheel drive, but they respectively concede 98, 135 and 70 horsepower to the Supercharged Jag.

Yes, the 2011 XJL Supercharged is a badass kitty. But more importantly, it has what it takes to draw customers away from the German brands; it’s blisteringly powerful, it’s as luxurious as before, it’s equipped with all the latest techno-goodies, and it’s a sure-fire crowd pleaser.

The XJL Supercharged carries an MSRP of $107,000. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)