RE: Would you buy an oilburning luxo-barge?

RE: Would you buy an oilburning luxo-barge?

Tuesday 3rd October 2006

Jaguar XJ 2.7 TDVi Sport Premium

Would you buy an oilburning luxo-barge? Manek Dubash tries it on for size.


Jaguar XJ TDVi Premium Sport
Jaguar XJ TDVi Premium Sport

The big Jag's been with me as an idea all my life. I remember seeing the sleek shapes in the streets as a kid and enjoying the shape, the quietness of the 4.2-litre engines and luxuriousness of them. I've managed to drive a few since then too and, while not a driver's car by any means, these luxury saloons -- the last Jaguar in whose design founder Sir William Lyons had a hand -- do evoke a certain sense of English pomp and circumstance, heritage and continuity.

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And it's all about smoothness, quietness and isolation from the world. So when Jaguar released a diesel version of its aluminium-bodied flagship saloon, it seemed to fly in the face of everything that Jaguar once stood for. I just had to try it.

Let's get the carping out of the way first. One criticism of Jaguar, which in its financial woes has thrashed about with faintly odd model selections, does hold water. It's simply the fact that key cars haven't changed. While Jaguar has aimed to maintain a sense of heritage -- the S-Type being the perfect example -- the big yin, the XJ, has also barely altered.

And that's a bit of a problem since the opposition, in the form of the Mercedes S Class and the BMW 7-Series, certainly have. Even in this most conservative of market segments, they've bowed to the winds of change and incorporated shapes and curves that would have seemed anathema only 10 or 15 years ago. Beside them, many reckon that the Jaguar XJ is starting to look a little tired.

Look: it's a diesel

You can hardly distinguish it from its predecessors. And that's often a problem at this image-driven end of the market, since you want the opposition to know how well you and your company are doing. What better than to ride around in the latest version of a big executive saloon? Except that it's likely only die-hard Jag-spotters would know that it is the latest version, especially since you're likely to have your own plate on it. But if they got closer to it, they'd certainly know it's a diesel: it says so on the badge.

The twin-turbocharged diesel car was first unveiled to an unsuspecting public about a year ago, some 38 years after the first XJ was launched, but only now have we been able to get hold of one -- it was a long queue.

The 204bhp 2.7-litre Jaguar XJ TDVi that I drove is a bit of a technological tour de force. The attribute that most marks out an oilburner before you step into it is the clatter the engine makes. When you're outside the car, yes, you can tell it's a diesel -- just about. Once you're in it, though, you'd be hard pushed to identify it as such. Yes, the rev counter only runs up to 4,500rpm and, if you don't blink as you twist the key, you'll notice a quick flicker of a glow-plug light on the dash. That aside, you won't know it.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Add lightness

At the heart of this car is Ford's Dagenham-produced Duratorq compacted graphite iron engine block. Land Rover uses a higher capacity version of this motor, tuned for more torque for towing and off-road work, so it has to be tough. According to Jaguar, the stuff it's made of better withstands the stronger pulses generated by the high compression diesel cycle than cast-iron. You need less material to build the block, making it lighter.

And lightness is good, as any fule kno, as it makes for better fuel economy -- and in the case of diesels including this one, this improves handling. With less bulk in the nose of the car, understeer is less pronounced -- although understeer remains the XJ's natural response to a corner.

But then, you don't buy an XJ to fling it around, even though it can handle itself fairly well in that department. No, what's important for this beast is that it should be as silent as possible, and not intrude on your mood when cruising. This the TDVi does very well. At an even cruise, you'd never know that there was a longitudinally-mounted 320lb-ft oilburner under that lengthy bonnet.

Put your foot down, though, and a bit of unseemly grumbling from somewhere below stairs intrudes, as the small-geometry turbos quickly spool up to call on the high pressure common rail for some more of the smelly stuff and squirt it into the cylinders. Yes, it's a diesel.

Performance

Performance isn’t huge. It's the slowest of the XJ range, helped by the fact that, at 1,659kg, the aluminium-bodied saloon still weighs 120kg more than the closest petrol equivalent, the 3.0-litre V6. You'll get to 60mph in 7.8 seconds and on to a Vmax of 141mph. But that level of performance is about on a par with the similarly-priced BMW 730d, a natural competitor -- and I reckon the Jag's a better looking machine too.

But there's still no clattering, and certainly no vibration, thanks to the vast amounts of soundproofing, which uses high acoustic absorption on the underside of the bonnet, airtight seals between the bonnet and engine compartment and a new double-skin bulkhead structure. Allied to the active engine mounting system, dubbed Vibramount, which Jaguar reckons kills 90 per cent of engine vibrations, and acoustic laminated glass, it all works to keep the nasty outside world at bay.

And the automatic gearbox's six ratios and shift system have been superbly chosen in that you don't notice gearshifts unless you look for them.

Options and toys include a Bluetooth phone, electric everything, satnav, powered headrest and very comfy, 16-way electrically adjustable seats, plus acres of wood and chrome. Given the luxury and level of quality that buyers of executive saloons demand, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better car -- or even a more economical motorway cruiser -- at this price level.

Ointment

There's only one fly in the ointment however. Just how important is economy when you're spending £51,020 on a car? Yes, it sips at the hard stuff from its 85-litre tank -- Jaguar claims 35mpg, while the petrol version gets 27mpg -- but if economy's that big an issue, you might be better off with a cheaper car to start with.

That said, there are precious few compromises with the TDVi -- apart from the possible embarrassment of pulling up to the pump with the black handle, and either donning gloves or having to wash afterwards.

Is it a PHer's car though? If your driving takes you cruising for mile after mile, the technology embedded in this car will keep you abstracted from hoi polloi, and make you feel good about yourself and what you're driving -- so yes.

Just don't expect it to thank you for flinging it around the twisties....

Pictures by Manek Dubash

Author
Discussion

oppressed mass

Original Poster:

217 posts

282 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
'Transversly mounted'? you might want to take that back and have the engine put in the right way.

manek

2,972 posts

283 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
B*gger! How come you can read things through three times and still not spot the howler?

Thanks - now fixed...

Phil Hopkins

17,110 posts

216 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
Great review! thumbup

vinceh

154 posts

227 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
Great pics, too, Manek, but why didn't you straighten the steering wheel for the interior shot?

Tidy car, tidy mind ....

agoogy

7,274 posts

247 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
So the big Jag looks a bit tired but you STILL prefer it to the big brave 7.... I don't think its tired, (although Jag do need a new design direction) I don't think the S class is brave ('bad' would be my choice).... the 7 went too far and now BMW have seen fit to tow the line in this conservative market.... see CAR's website...

All a bit confusing....

Chris944

336 posts

229 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
Ah, the Jag uses the same engine block as the Land Rover. I get it. Aston's don't. So Jag's represent a potential pooling of Land Rover and Jag bits whereas Astons and Land Rover ? Poof. Forget it. I guess we better look forward to the Range Jaguar :-)

john_r

8,353 posts

270 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
"Just how important is economy is when you're spending" Was this translated from Spanish?

Nit picking aside, a great review! Very real. Is yes it is!

fenderbender

339 posts

223 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
Chris944 said:
Ah, the Jag uses the same engine block as the Land Rover. I get it. Aston's don't. So Jag's represent a potential pooling of Land Rover and Jag bits whereas Astons and Land Rover ? Poof. Forget it. I guess we better look forward to the Range Jaguar :-)

I think we already have it. It seems the new diesel V8 is being released in the Range Rover first. Be interesting to see how long it takes to migrate it to the XJ.

manek

2,972 posts

283 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2006
quotequote all
vinceh said:
Great pics, too, Manek, but why didn't you straighten the steering wheel for the interior shot?

Tidy car, tidy mind ....

There's always one isn't there, Vince

klassiekerrally

2,543 posts

254 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
I like modern diesel engines. (boxedin)
And somehow I still think the combination of 'Jaguar' and 'diesel' is wrong.
Just a feeling, but sometimes you've got to listen to that.

V8 EOL

2,780 posts

221 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
article said:
Just how important is economy when you're spending £51,020 on a car?

Exactly. Couldnt have put it better myself. Anyone see James May's article in TG mag about diseasals?

a8hex

5,829 posts

222 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
klassiekerrally said:
I like modern diesel engines. (boxedin)
And somehow I still think the combination of 'Jaguar' and 'diesel' is wrong.
Just a feeling, but sometimes you've got to listen to that.


The XK engine had so much low down torque though, in someways it was like driving a diesel. I drove a 3.8L XK150 once and in that you could put your foot down in top gear at just over a 1000revs and the nose would come up and off you shot. Even more so than with a modern diesel - no turbo lag. The wife's got a MB E320CDI which has bags of low down torque and you rarely notice the turbo lag much (just occasionally you get caught) till you drive something with better responcesiveness.

Of course the XK didn't run out of revs at 4500, and it sounded superb.

For a lot of modern driving the characteristics of modern diesel engines are probably better than the characteristics of most modern petrol engines. Sadly part of that is being less fun. She who must be obeyed prefers her diesel, me I prefer driving my Jag, but certainly driving the Merc is lazy.

Drove a MkII the other day with a 3.8L which Ken Bell had breathed on, that was certainly responsive lick

planetdave

9,921 posts

252 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
V8 EOL said:
article said:
Just how important is economy when you're spending £51,020 on a car?

Exactly. Couldnt have put it better myself. Anyone see James May's article in TG mag about diseasals?


For a smooching car I reckon a TD is great if you can tame the NVH.
Never mind the pseudo economies - it's much swifter not to have to stop for a re-fuel.

I think they made a boo-boo not putting the TDV8 in an XJ first. That's got to be the one you'd actually want. In fact I'd go as far as to say I'd like that engine in the XK.

Phil Hopkins

17,110 posts

216 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
planetdave said:
In fact I'd go as far as to say I'd like that engine in the XK.


Want to give me a deposit then?

planetdave

9,921 posts

252 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
Phil Hopkins said:
planetdave said:
In fact I'd go as far as to say I'd like that engine in the XK.


Want to give me a deposit then?


I like a lot of things. Do you think leaving a deposit on Kelly Brook would guarentee a 'sale'?

Pickled Piper

6,331 posts

234 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
Excellent write up!

I work with many of the Engineers at Jaguar and even they can't tell the old and new XJ apart from a distance. It's laughable (maybe not but it definitely brings tears to your eyes) that Jaguar could have got it so wrong. Yep, buyers of these big saloons are "conservative" but even they want their neighbours to know they have a new motor.

pp

triple7

4,013 posts

236 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
planetdave said:
In fact I'd go as far as to say I'd like that engine in the XK.


Don't worry its on its way..................allegedly.

G

a8hex

5,829 posts

222 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
triple7 said:
planetdave said:
In fact I'd go as far as to say I'd like that engine in the XK.


Don't worry its on its way..................allegedly.

G


Interestingly MB choose to demo their new diesels to the press in the SL & SLK.

the dodger

2,375 posts

262 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
manek said:
........Land Rover uses a higher capacity version of this motor, tuned for more torque for towing and off-road work, so it has to be tough.

I don't think it's different at all. The only differences may be Inlet and Exhaust manifolding etc. and calibration. I'm sure they are all 2.7L V6 Oilies.

We had a "Powertrain Drive Event" at work the other week where we were supposed to assess a range of cars powertrain for launch/refinement drivability etc. I drove an XJ TDiV6, S-Type TDiV6, Land Rover Disco TDiV6, VW Passat 2.0L (gasoline), Mondeo ST220, Transit 2.4L TD, Golf GTi 2.0L TD, Peugeot 407 SW 2.0L Td and Focus ST3 2.0L Turbo. Their were lots of other cars but I ran out of time including Range Rover Sport 2.7L TDiV6. All the Jags and LR/RR were rated at 206 PS indicating the same power unit.

The best car I drove? - the XJ was lovely, very refined (you are right to say you would never know it was a diesel) excellent interior but I found the steering too dead around the straight-ahead. Too much transmission lag on kick-down too (waiting for the turbines to spin-up?). The best all-rounder was the Mundano! Ha!

Phil Hopkins

17,110 posts

216 months

Wednesday 4th October 2006
quotequote all
planetdave said:
Phil Hopkins said:
planetdave said:
In fact I'd go as far as to say I'd like that engine in the XK.


Want to give me a deposit then?


I like a lot of things. Do you think leaving a deposit on Kelly Brook would guarentee a 'sale'?


I think she'd be a touch upset if you left a deposit on her to be honest.