Jaguar has just unveiled its new XJ flagship to the public in a celebrity-filled extravaganza hosted by everyone's favorite car guy -- Jay Leno -- in London (watch the video below for the presentation). We got an embargoed sneak peek a bit ahead of time of the new Jag flagship, which is set to hit U.S. shores this December, beginning from the top floor of one of those photogenic English manors in the suburbs of London you see in Victorian-period-piece movies.
This location allowed design chief Ian Callum to show off the new luxury sedan's plan view and thus its most controversial feature, its piano-black trim. While piano black is almost a cliche on luxury-sedan dashboards, you don't find it outside...until now. The 2010 Jaguar XJ features a piece of the trim on the roof rails connecting the C-pillar to the other edge of the rear quarter-window.
The piano-black trim, which shows up only close up on metallic black or British Racing Green paint, stands out like a piece of protective-trim covering on virtually any other paint color...silver, for example. An overhead view shows how it connects the side glass with the standard panoramic two-panel sunroof. Controversial styling extends to the tail and trunklid, which look more than a bit like those on Italy's Lancia Thesis luxury sedan, though Jaguar insists it just takes getting used to.You'll recognize the 2010 Jaguar XJ's nose as a more upright follow-up to last year's sensation, the XF. On the bigger XJ, which is about the same size as the more formal-looking sedan it replaces, the rectangular grille is even more resolved and the cat's-eye headlamps are even sleeker. As with the XF, there's no Leaper hood ornament, though it will be offered in North America, in case you're considering an aftermarket vinyl top as well.
"Surface tension" in the profile pays homage to Chris Bangle's "flame surfacing" as does just about everything new in the car business these days. While the roofline suggests a "four-door coupe" in the idiom of Mercedes' CLS-Class, rear-seat headroom, even with the standard two-panel sunroof, is quite good. The XJ is a bigger car than it looks. Jaguar worked hard on the sedan's aerodynamics, for high-speed stability and low wind noise and fuel efficiency.
The interior features the XF's "handshake" gearshift knob, which withdraws out of sight until rendered for use. There's a 3D virtual instrument cluster, an eight-inch high-definition touch screen for navigation, interactive voice control, and a media hub with DVD audio and video with a hard-disc storage system and high-fidelity audio with an optional 1200-watt, 15-channel Bowers & Wilkins amp, 20 B&W speakers, and Dolby Pro Logic II 7.1 Surround-Sound.
A four-zone climate control and heated/cooled seats with massage and adjustable bolsters come standard. The long-wheelbase XJ adds five inches of rear legroom and a rear-seat entertainment system with wireless, digital headphones. There are two Apple iPhone-style infrared wireless remote controls for the rear-seat passengers, as well.
The XJ's adaptive seatbelts cinch up under emergency braking, and the belts are tied to the adaptive dynamics and the stability control systems. It's swathed in typically supple Jaguar leather and a wide choice of wood or metal interior trims.
All this is wrapped in a very light, rigid aluminum monocoque bodyshell that makes the standard-wheelbase '10 XJ lighter than the shorter, steel-bodied XF. Body panels consist of up to 50-percent recycled aluminum, and Jaguar has set a goal of 75-percent recycled aluminum. The XJ is up to 570 pounds lighter than its competition, which of course includes the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and Audi A8.
Xenon headlamps are standard, and all other exterior lighting is LED -- no bulbs. The front lights are adaptive, with optional intelligent high beams.
The 5.0-liter, 385-horsepower V-8 is standard, with supercharged 5.0-liter V-8s of 470 horsepower and 510 horsepower optional. Transmission is a six-speed sequential automatic with paddles and adaptive shifting. Rear air suspension is standard, and Jaguar's CATS adaptive dynamic suspension is available. North America won't get the 3.0-liter diesel V-6. Jaguar says it has no plans for an R version, although it leaves open the possibility for more power and sport.
[source:MotorTrend]
