First Drive – 2013 Jaguar XJ

When it comes to the super luxury sedan segment, the Germans have always been awarded top picks.  Not to say the Jaguar vehicles aren’t any better, but they do portray that royal British luxury image.  To be more specific, the 2012 Jaguar XJ engine was only available in their bread and butter V8’s, nothing else.  Certainly reluctant to change the British ways of doing things, but Darwin’s theory does apply to automotive technology – adapt and survive, or be left behind and die.  So change they did, and Jaguar did it good.

First off, the 2013 Jaguar XJ’s now offers three powertrain configurations – a downsized 3.0 liter supercharged V6, and the flagship 5.0 liter supercharged supercharged V8 with two different flavors producing 470 and 510 horsepower respectively.  Our tested model came equipped with Jaguar’s “Instinctive All Wheel Drive” system exclusive to the V6 model only.  Mated to the engine is an 8 speed automatic transmission.

What makes the 2013 Jaguar XJ and its predecessor since 2003 unique is its all aluminum chassis.  In efforts to maximize fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, engineers at Jaguar were able to cut down the 2013 Jaguar XJ’s curb weight to only 1871 lbs.  To put this number into perspective, the competing Mercedes S-class with its chassis built up of aluminum and steel weighs in at 4124 lbs.  According to company officials, the lightweight aluminum body structure shaves off 700 lbs.  Tatas motors also claims that the 2013 Jaguar XJ is 300 to 570 lbs lighter than its competing BMW 7 series and Mercedes S-class.

Performance and Handling

At 340 horsepower and 424 ft-lbs of torque, the supercharged V6 engine shows no weakness in propelling the sub 4000 lbs vehicle through straightaways and windy roads.    On an initial impression, you might think the 2013 Jaguar XJ feels a bit lazy in response to acceleration and gear shifts and the overall handling to be a bit reserved.  Once you become more accustomed to the vehicle, you will begin to notice and appreciate the lightness and agility of the vehicle.  Unlike naturally aspirated and turbo-boost engines condemned to restricted power bands, the supercharger amplifies and massages the power output from the V6 engine, result in an extremely smooth and linear power output.

Hold down the sport button for a few seconds, and the suspensions and the power output immediately sharpens up.  In addition, the LCD instrument cluster transitions from a cozy blue to a serious red color scheme.    The power output on the 2013 XJ becomes noticeably more responsive with tighter handling.  At a wheel base of 3,032 mm and width of 1,899 mm, you may think the 2013 Jaguar XJ is a bulky car and difficult to handle.  You are certainly right about the former statement, but with the wide-view driver cockpit position and tight steering, the 2013 Jaguar XJ handles and grips the road extremely well.  Decrypting the 2013 Jaguar XJ specification sheets of the V6 model reveals its 0-to-60 mph time of 5.7-seconds.

Interior Styling

You won’t find evidence of space age material when you’re inside the 2013 Jaguar XJ.  Rather, it’s a polymorphism of elaborate vintage and modern digital.  In terms of technology, there isn’t anything that is fully exclusive to the 2013 Jaguar XJ.  Jaguar engineers must’ve grabbed 10 of the top trim level mid range cars and extracted the best feature of each and carefully sewed it into the XJ.

Upsclaed simplicity is how I would describe it.  Jaguar interior designers did an excellent job abstracting all the high tech features behind an intuitive and minimalistic user interface.  Every button and dial in the 2013 Jaguar XJ feels like a million bucks while the majority of the interior space is decorated with high quality leather, mahogany wood panels and chrome plating.

 

Apparently, I need to get rich, or die trying.  A short test drive in the 2013 Jaguar XJ revealed the frugal life I’ve been living.  The 2013 Jaguar XJ features heated steering wheel activated by a simple click of a button conveniently located behind the steering wheel.  In addition, the 2013 Jaguar XJ features heated and air conditioned front seats that even offers a back massage feature and it actually works quite well.  Other interesting features in the 2013 Jaguar XJ include humidity control, comprehensive rear passenger climate control, and an unparalleled high quality Meridian surround sound system.

When it comes to the instrument panel cluster design, I am a strong believer in the married relationship between art and analog.  The LCD instrument cluster was a bit of a setback in my mind, especially at the super luxury caliber.  But on the brighter side, there are features in the 2013 Jaguar XJ made possible only in the LCD cluster approach such as a dedicated miniature GPS navigation screen that proved to be very convenient during our test drive.

Driving Impression and Final Thoughts

It can be intimidating when you’re driving a six figure car for the first time.  And it was for me, but it didn’t take long to gain confidence in the vehicle.  It’s easy to realize and appreciate the work put in to segregating every bit of drive stress from the driver.   With the super charger working in sync with the Jaguar 6 cylinder engine produces a very smooth and linear power output – a non-existent feature in any vehicle of a lower caliber.   The 8 speed automatic transmission is quick and buttery smooth, but for everyday driving, shifting through all 8 gears is a bit excessive.  The steering also gives a very tight and precise control of the vehicle.

Jaguar can certainly improve on reducing the harshness of the ride quality in certain driving conditions and provide better shielding from road noise, but its ability to act like a sports car more than makes up for its flaws.   The 2013 Jaguar XJ shows no signs of weakness and shows excellent composure and minimal body roll when corning in conjunction with minimal torque lag thanks to the onboard supercharger.

In the past, Jaguar XJ series has always been perceived as a super luxury vehicles that can deliver extraordinary comfort, but held back by performance and handling due to its substantial weight of the vehicle.  The 2013 Jaguar XJ aims to change all that.  With its revolutionary all aluminum chassis, and specialized alloy treatment on its hood panels, the XJ is a combination of relished luxury traditions and modern performance.  The 2013 XJ did more than just improve.  They broke proving grounds to raise the bar in the luxury and performance relationship.