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New Jaguar is business on a budget

The Indian-British marquee’s latest flagship variant — the 2013 Jaguar XJ 2.0T — keeps the attitude but loses the price tag

Jaguar, once an all-British brand is now an Indian car with mixed-blood owned by an Indian conglomerate — the TATA group. Regardless of its manufacturing proprietors, their cars were always defined by exquisite craftsmanship and distinguished heritage. But for a while heritage was all they had. TATA bought over Jaguar-Land-Rover with a definitive notion of reviving the brand’s reputed sense of luxury, opulence and style.

With the latest and least-expensive variant of their recently redesigned flagship, the XJ, they are taking on a tide of new customers — a breed that is both brand and bottom-line conscious.

And as good a car as the XJ might be, it always played second fiddle to the German triumphant until recently when they packed bonnet with the enthusiastic turbocharged small-block motor and dropped the retail price by quite a bit. We drive the car in question to confirm whether the underdog has the premium full-size segment by the nuts and bolts. Step 1 — grab the world’s chunkiest car keys.

DESIGN & AESTHETICS

The XJ is a familiar face around town and we are no strangers to its whale-like proportions. At 5.127 metres long, this thing definitely qualifies as a stretched-out limousine. The 2.105 metre width spares some generous room for adults in the rear and headroom has not been neglected — obvious from its 1.456 metre height.

The signature lines that date back to 1968 were replaced by an overwhelmingly larger new design in 2009 when it was first unveiled in Saatchi Gallery in London in the company of Jay Leno and Elle Macpherson. It marked a shift in the crux of the brand’s styling with chief designer Ian Callum as the signatory.

The XJ’s frontal view is dominated by a large chrome grille that parts the slim headlamps — or squinting eyes, as we call it — on either end. The sloping roofline at the rear resembles that of a fastback design. Such a form has its aerodynamic advantages too! The black roof panels render the car a flatter and planted stance. The rear design is simplistic at first glance. It has swooping upright taillights, nicknamed ‘cat’s claws’, which have streaks of LED lighting that resemble the claws of cat (hence, the name).

There is a lot of chrome detailing on the exterior panels all around and the dual chrome exhaust tips give it that element of ‘posh’, thankfully missing out on the overkill, unlike some American vehicles. Being a very large car with a very large wheel well, it deserves large diameter rims to complement the look. The sample we drove had very sporty 5-spoke 20-inch rims.

After giving the distinctive peripherals a good stare, we climbed aboard this AIRBUS for the highway and then settled into the 12-way power adjustable driver’s seat that have adjustable thigh and lumbar support. The bolsters cradle you in a pleasant way unlike some sports sedans that have you in a submission hold.

Where the XJ scores high is in the interior styling. In comparison, the German trio has a mass produced look and feel to them.

Drawing your attention in the cabin are a swept-around powerboat style cockpit and a leather-bound dash. The bold aircraft-inspired air-con vents are infinitesimally adjustable and easy to operate. Another peculiarity is the purple inside of the glove box and central storage bin; perhaps British monarchy had a role to play! The 3-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel is fully power-adjustable that makes it suit a variety of drivers.

On the centre console is a smallish multi-media screen with surround in black lacquer and Jaguar’s much-acclaimed pop-up scroll type shifter called the Drive select. It seems gimmicky and unreliable, but it has proved to be the exact opposite. But what happens when your battery dies out and you need to move to neutral to give it a push?

Where the regular analog gauges sat, we have digital instrumentation displayed on a 12.3-inch TFT screen that can be tailored to show information.

There are also ice blue ambient lighting and touch control elements that give it that futuristic Back to the Future feel. The glove box can be opened with a touch of sensor and the cabin lighting can be operated in the same manner.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

If you don’t mind getting your hands greased, pop the hood and check out the mechanicals underneath, like we did. The base XJ is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine, which may seem like a mouse employed to do an elephant’s job. But fear not, it comes with working credentials. It has proven its worth in the Range Rover Evoque with a speedy performance. Being a small motor, it weighs a low 138 kg and we all know that weight is the greatest enemy — not just in the world of vanity but in the one of powertrains as well.

Together with the force-induction and a 10.1 compression ratio, the theory of ‘cause and effect’ plays out well. Build it up to 5,500 revs and the XJ is claimed to produce 237 bhp. As for torque, there is plenty of that — specifically 340 Nm, available from a lowly 2,000 rpm all the way to 4,000 rpm. Specific output is rated at almost 120bhp-per-litre, putting it in the company of Porsches and Ferraris in that aspect.

Pulling up at a traffic light, you don’t have to shy away for the fact that the 2.0 4-pot is short on displacement. It will whiz from crawl to cruising speed in 7.5 seconds — enough to get your heart racing. Given an open stretch of tarmac and the freedom to take up your wild side... and with a little tail wind, it might even hit the usual 250 km/h limiter and draw equal with the big V8 siblings.

The XJ is made completely of aluminium and so, is lighter than its compatriots, weighing in the region of 1,700 kg. The long wheelbase gives it stability during spirited drives and it holds its composure through corners. But this is not one for the Autodrome or Yas Marina, more so for a transcontinental touring.

The long wheelbase contributes to a well-composed ride, softening bumps and road irregularities. Waftability is good but falls to match the ride of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class by a whisker. If you ignore the subtle blend of induction noises and the exhaust note, you have something that is as quiet as the New York State Library between 60 and 100 km/h. You can leave the bustle for the outside while you indulge in an abridged version of Shakespeare’s works.

Running costs are also kept to a minimum as seen by its claimed fuel economy rating of 9.3l/100km. But if you gun down the highway like Sylvester Stallone ran down a beach in Rocky, you are soon to run out of puff. The XJ only emits 216g/km of CO2 — the white coats down at MASDAR city might actually respect you for your judicious use of juice.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY

Both the driver and front passenger get climate-cooled seats while the driver also gets to keep his palms warm with the heated steering feature — the button to which will probably catch some dust for its lack of use (at least in the GCC). The rear cabin has two cup holders, vanity mirrors with lamps for applying your blush or straightening your tie, business tables, foot rests, optional rear seat entertainment system with dual 8-inch multimedia screens and even memory setting for seats. The rear seat passengers can also make use of the high-end intuitive touch screen remote that controls multiple functions.

The top-spec XJ is equipped with a 15-loudspeaker 12-channel 380W Meridian Sound System and the range topper gets 825W Meridian Surround Sound System with 15 channels and 20 speakers. Clarity is top notch and if you turn the volume knob to the right, it gets so loud you can hardly hear yourself think. You can also rip music and store them in the hard drive. USB ports and aux-in are also part of the deal; so is Bluetooth connectivity for the wireless phone stuff.

The 4-zone climate control system allows you to set individual temperatures at the four corners and the whole system does a good job of overcoming the afternoon heat. One niggle was that the HVAC knob is small and seems to have been crafted for the delicate non-workman hands of the aristocratic.

The XJ is a massive car and it deserves a bunch of safety features like a rear view camera, front and rear parking aids and blind spot monitoring system... and so it gets it. Just stick to the visuals on the screen and not the instructions from your back-seat-driver of a friend and you shall escape the labyrinth-like car parks of Dubai Mall unscathed.

The centre console houses an LCD screen that has a dual view. It allows the driver to retrieve routes and view the map on the well-illustrated navigation system while entertaining the front passenger. The touch screen functionality has been improved recently but remains stubborn and does not have the fluidity of those in other makes.

The placement of the hazard button is fair but the size small. The 520-litre boot is a big one, but it is no bigger than the smallish Nissan Sunny, which is a champion luggage hauler. You do get metal runners on the cargo bay to prevent luggage from tearing up the carpeting.

VERDICT

The 2013 Jaguar XJ triumphs as a desirable alternative to the flagships from Germany and even Japan. The exterior and interior styling elements are both engaging and entertaining. This combined with the versatile turbocharged 2.0-litre engine and a discounted sticker price makes it a best buy, even if it’s not ‘Black Friday’. Quite certainly, the XJ 2.0T is the least inexpensive way to go business-class.