Fine folks enjoying fine living while checking out a fine car at a fine establishment…
I got an email the other day asking if I would like to attend a preview of the 2010 Jaguar XJ, being held at the beautiful Pelican Hill resort in Newport Coast, CA. Before the friendly person who sent me the email could blink, my reply was blinking in her inbox with a big bold “
YES!” staring at her in the body of the email.
The
XJ sedan has long been an icon of British motoring but the exterior style was stuck in a bygone era. Jaguar worked hard to update the sultry XK and introduced the modern and stylish XF. It is finally time for us to see a 21st-century-Digital-Boy version of this full-size luxury people pusher.
The 2010 Jaguar XJ comes rocketing into the modern era, not just to play catch-up to the competition, but to try and soar by them. The all-new 5.0L V8 engine is present under the long hood of the XJ, and it is available with varying levels of power. The “entry-level” version produces 385 hp, the next level up sports a supercharger and boasts 470 hp. At the top of the lineup sits the Supersport version, which is also supercharged but sees output boosted to 510 hp. There is also a fourth engine choice which we do not get here in the US, a 3.0L turbo diesel V6 which I am sure is a torque monster. All engines are paired with a six-speed automatic, which can be shifted manually via steering-wheel mounted paddles.
Moving inside the XJ, the interior is home to modern gadgets all over the place. The traditional analog gauge cluster has been replaced by a digital high-definition display. The gauges can be modified to show different relevant information including a map for navigation, controls for the various interior functions, and a sportier cluster, which glows red when you approach red line in a particular gear. If this were a Jaguar from yesteryear, this feature would honestly be terrifying because it wouldn’t be if but when the electronics decided to take a holiday. However,
Jaguar has made great strides in reliability and is actually now ranked amongst the best according to JD Power.
Another feature of the interior which I find fascinating is the dual-view touch-screen display in the center stack. It is a crisp 8” monitor with a surprise… the driver can be viewing one thing from his angle, while the passenger can view a completely different image - at the same time. For example, the driver can be monitoring his route via the navigation system while the passenger watches a movie on the in-dash DVD player. Neither will see what the other is viewing, which makes it a pretty fascinating feature.
The design on the outside of the car now mimics the modern found inside. The lines are softer than in the previous XJ yet evoke a more powerful appearance. They have jumped on the LED running light bandwagon, but they look right on the front of this car. Flowing backwards, the D-Pillar is painted black to give the appearance of a rear-wraparound window. This might be a love-it or hate-it piece, but the sun was setting over Newport Coast and I couldn’t give this item enough sunlit eyeball time for a proper review. However, the new taillights did get a proper look and they are stunning. Three red stripes flow beautifully with the lines of the car and were glowing wonderfully in the warm late-summer air (we don’t have a proper fall out here, sorry).
I look forward to getting some seat time in this new flagship Jaguar. My brief time spent staring at the vehicle, in between well-healed clientele who were actually placing orders on the spot to make sure they get one when it arrives in February, only served to titillate my sense of sight and touch. I need an empty Southern California road, a key fob, and some alone time so that I can stimulate the other four senses. Yes, I believe this 2010 Jaguar XJ just might invoke a sixth-sense in me… a sense of digital enlightenment.