Friday 10th July 2009

NEW JAGUAR XJ REVEALED AT LAST!

Latest Jag luxury flagship reveals its colours - full details and pics

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Front end has shades of Jaguar's XF

Jaguar Cars has officially unveiled the all-new XJ at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, ending months of speculation about the shape and style of its eagerly awaited new luxury flagship.

Hosted by Jay Leno, one of the world's best-known chat show hosts and a renowned car enthusiast, the launch of the new Jaguar flagship was attended by an invited audience that included public figures, business leaders, celebrities and media, says Jaguar.

"These are truly exciting times for us at Jaguar. The new XJ is truly beautiful, exhilarating to drive, and with its bold, enlightened approach to design, it meets the challenges of our fast-changing world. It re-imagines the ultimate sporting luxury car," said Jaguar's managing director, Mike O'Driscoll, at the new model's launch.

Rear treatment is getting people talking!

You don't need PH to tell you the new car is a radical move away from the old XJ design, both outside where the new model's blacked-out C-pillar is already exciting much controversy, and inside where the new treatment brings an air of genuine opulence to the latest big cat. Scroll down this page to see all the pictures Jaguar has released, and let us know what you think!

The all-new XJ is available to order now, with the first customers due to receive their cars in early 2010. Prices start at £52,500 for the standard wheelbase 3.0-litre V6 diesel luxury.

Interior is stylish and opulent

See Jaguar's media briefing for full details of this fascinating new model

AND

See full technical specifications here

(Scroll down for all the official pictures)

Models and Prices	Standard Wheelbase	Long Wheelbase
XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel Luxury	£52,500	£55,500
XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel Premium Luxury	£55,900	£58,900
XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel Portfolio	£62,900	£65,900
XJ 5.0 n/a V8 Petrol Premium Luxury	£62,900	£65,900
XJ 5.0 n/a V8 Petrol Portfolio	£69,900	£72,900
XJ 5.0 s/c V8 Petrol Supersport	£85,000	£88,000

 

[RacingPete]

The live feed of the reveal will be in this first post at 8pm, check back then!

[FNG]

Love it... except for the rear lights. Just don't fit with the rest of it.

And the leaper on the rear is a mistake IMO. I know they're trying to create an impression so that a Jag is instantly recognisable but it doesn't work. Logos and badges need to be symmetrical to have impact and complement the look of the car.

The rear looks unbalanced with that badge on it.

Front end is just what I expected - close to the C-XF concept just like they promised. Oh that the XF had taken such a bold step as well.

[Zod]

Front - great - finally the promise of the Concept XF makes it to production,

side - good at the front, gets too heavy through the middle and lardbucket at the rear,

rear - awful, just awful. Too heavy, high, blank expanse. Lights are ugly, American-looking things. The "leaper" badge doesn't work.

[Garlick]

Looks a bit too Euro/ US to me.

The front is too similar to an XF and I want my XJ to look like an XJ.

The overall size and length look great.

Overall, I am not that impressed, but I bet that it looks better in the metal (in a darker colour)

[Vidal Baboon]

FNG said:

Love it... except for the rear lights. Just don't fit with the rest of it.

And the leaper on the rear is a mistake IMO. I know they're trying to create an impression so that a Jag is instantly recognisable but it doesn't work. Logos and badges need to be symmetrical to have impact and complement the look of the car.

The rear looks unbalanced with that badge on it.

Front end is just what I expected - close to the C-XF concept just like they promised. Oh that the XF had taken such a bold step as well.

I thought the same, although it was'nt in as much detail

[Chuffer]

As an XJ driver, whilst not particularly impressed by the rear styling, of the two rear views pictured above I find the one on the left doesn't look as bad as the one on the right.

Agree that the rear is too plain and the leaper doesn't work just stuck there like that. I would have preferred the circular badge from the grille replicated at the rear.

Overall I like it, but I'll reserve final judgement until I see the complete car on film/in the metal.

[Chris71]

I think it's great. Not as elegant as the XJ perhaps, but Jaguar needed to shake off the forty year old design cues. Based on the revamped XK and the XF it should drive as well as it looks too.

[Jeff Lemons]

I always thought, stylistically, the XJ offered a lithe, light alternative to the overweight euro-barges of the German manufacturers. Now they have created a heavy variation on the XF styling theme.

As all we are presented with is a visual image at this stage one can only judge on appearances. I feel that, overall, Jaguar is losing its individuality and seems to be producing Lexus clones. It may be great to drive, offer unparralelled equipment levels (though against an S-Class I doubt this)and "look great in the flesh" but if this is the case it's a little disappointing Jaguar decided to release such unflattering photographs.

[CABBYBROWN]

Yes, in the pics at least, the front certainly works much better than the rear which looks more "Sunbeam Rapier" than "Bentley" IMHO. Have to say I still prefer it to BMWs 5GT! Will defer final judgment til I see it in the metal tho.

[wl606]

It looks an awful lot like a Citroen C6 from the side and back. Though I doubt many people have actually seen one, so that doesn't really matter.

[VladD]

Dreadful. Have Jaguar bought some old stock from GM and tarted it up? I though FIAT were going to do that. Looks like a Dodge XJ to me.

[chunkymonkey71]

Its nice, but it looks more like the kind of thing Lexus would churn out.

[Filos Hippos]

Would have to see it in the flesh but first impression :

Maybe a good low mileage XJR 4.2 would be a wise investment.

[Macboy]

There's more than a hint of Citroen C6 about the rear three-quarter but without the deco-lights which lift the back of the Citroen and make it look less heavy - something the Jag (and the Continental Flying Spur which others have mentioned) suffer from. Bit too XF family at the front for me although I do like that car's styling but a bold departure which Ian Callum should be congratulated for. Look forward to seeing it on the road and, as someone else said, in a darker colour.

[oagent]

snap on the Lexus theme.

Nice try, but doesnt really replace the XJ. Its a bit like replacing a real Bentley with a bloated Passat.......

[dpbird90]

I like it, it's good that Jaguar are finally making modern looking cars. I do like the traditional look of the current XJ, but its 2009, they need to build something that doesn't look like it's stepped out of the Tardis. However I'm not too keen on the rear lights, if it had the ones off the XF it would look so much better.

[ChapppeRS]

Nope. Don't believe any of you. You're all in shock at how brilliant it is. Come back when you like it.

On a more serious note, it IS a big change. I would suggest you keep looking at it and let it sink in.

Launch is gonna be awesome tonight.

[Beefmeister]

Love it, apart from the back end... Reminds me of this:



and this:

Edited by Beefmeister on Thursday 9th July 11:52

[pilchardthecat]

Looks a bit like the Citroen C6 from back & sides. XF from the front.

I like the C6 but i'm not sure if i'd want this. They should have kept the XJ dual headlight look.

Maybe it will grow on me

[Nightshade]

What a shame about those American-looking rear lights.. they let the rest of the car down