Jag fans surely would like to see the new 2010 Jaguar XJ in the showrooms when it officially goes on sale this April. And kudos to Jag for bringing some new luster to their XJ flagship.

Just a refresher. The new XJ packs a range of engines which include a range-topping 5.0L all-alloy gasoline V8. There’s also a naturally-aspirated version of the V8 and a 3.0L engine twin-turbo diesel engine.

The car packs a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox complete with flappy-paddle shifters. The supercharged V8 dishes out a wicked 503 bhp.

The new Jaguar XJ range will cost from £53,775 when it goes on sale in April. With that price, it’s still cheaper than Mercs of almost the same specs.

The Jaguar XJ is a cat with a special mission. Jag intends to use its new offering of the XJ flagship to restore the brand’s luster. Over the years, Jaguar has given up much of its share in the luxury saloon market. The company now hopes that this new car will change its fortunes.

One of the most hyped features of the XJ is its styling. Taking cues from the XF saloon, the XJ sports a mouth-shaped mesh grill, teardrop-shaped lines, and a new three-side-window design to create the illusion of sleekness. And that’s not purely aesthetic as well, with some science added too. The drag co-efficient on this one’s an amazing 0.29.

The car will have a choice of three engines – a supercharged 5.0-litre all-alloy petrol V8, a normally aspirated version of the same engine, and a 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel. A six-speed ZF auto gearbox with flappy-paddle shifters come as standard. The superchagred V8 gets a choice between 503bhp and 464bhp outputs. The normally aspirated V8 dishes out 380 ponies.

The XJ will be rolled out with three trim levels dubbed Luxury, Premum Luxury and Portfolio. No word on pricing yet but the price would definitely be variable due to the engine choices, trim levels, and options that come with each.

Production is set to start this September and deliveries start early 2010.

I wonder why automakers still resort to teasers. Well, they sure do arouse the interest of people but how many people in the mass market segment buy cars just because of a 30-second clip? Take for example a slew of Grand Bentley “Arnage” replacement teaser videos. The Internet is flooded with these things and yet, how many netizens can actually afford a damned Bentley? Or a Jaguar for that matter (given the crunch these days).

At least motoring fans would have something to enjoy, huh? Here’s a small collection of the four Jaguar XJ teaser videos that have been released by Jag lately. At least these are way better than those stupid pictures of the Subaru Impreza’s silhouette from a year or so ago.

View a few more after the cut.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jaguar is setting its sights on an electric hybrid model for its XJ luxury saloon. The plans are hot on the heels of a £307 million green technology loan to be given out by the European Union.

The new hybrid XJ will have a set-up that uses battery-supplied electric power. The batteries can be charged through a small engine that can recharge them on the move. This set-up is just like the one on the Chevrolet Volt.

Jaguar has set high goals for the planned car, concurrent with the car manufacturer’s need to cut back on emissions by 25 percent for 2012. The range of the electric drive is pegged at 30 miles. Jaguar is also looking at 57 mpg efficiency and less than 120 g/Km of CO2 emissions.

The £307 million EU loan adds to Jaguar’s current funds, pushing the company’s investments for green technology to a whopping £800 million. Along with the proposed hybrid XJ luxury saloon, there’s also a mild hybrid Range Rover Sport and a mini-Range Rover hybrid in the works for Jaguar Land Rover.

Source: Autocar

Jaguar has confirmed that it will be showcasing its new Jaguar XJ at July’s British International Motor Show in London. The radical new luxury sedan promises to retake some of the patronage that shifted to the Mercedes S-class, as Jaguar seeks to foster a new executive customer base in Britain.

The car is currently called Project X351, and it has grown from something more like a simple update to a new model with extensive engineering changes. Jaguar is banking on a made-over bodywork and new engines to generate more interest for the new car.

The XJR, expected to be at the forefront of the entire XJ range, is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine that pushes the executive sedan to a whopping 503 brake horsepower while still maintaining Jaguar-caliber handling. Other engines available include a 271-bhp 3.0-liter twin-turbo diesel and a lower-powered variant that goes for 237 bhp.

Upgrades for the interior are also on tap, described by sources as ‘a big step forward’. It’s all about the details with the XJ, and it looks like Jaguar really is sparing no expense on this luxury sedan.

Source: Autocar

Back to the battle of the flagships. Jaguar’s slowly inching its way back into the game after jumping from one ownership to the other. Now they’re under Tata Motors, Jaguar is gearing up for a new direction and part of that is reinventing their flagship car’s direction.

The next-generation XJ flagship is set to be available within two years’ time. Be prepared as the next XJ will be targeting a more upscale market compared to the current XJ. Jaguar execs claim that it will be more of a Bentley than a BMW.

Now that’s quite a big market sector shift if you ask me. For one, the Merc’s S Class and the BMW 7 Series fare better as luxury flagships. Now they plan to take on the spiffier crowd of Bentleys and Maybachs.

Jaguar has also patented the C-XE and C-XJ designations, possibly to be used for their concepts. The C-XE is speculated to be a roadster to compete with the Porsche Boxster and the BMW Z4.

A couple of announcements from Jaguar came out today and they’re all about their offerings to next month’s Geneva Motor Show. One of them (the other will be tackled in another post) is the limited production 2009 Jaguar XJ Portfolio which will be made available to the public just this summer. In fact, it’s already available for order in the US as we speak (write). So if you’re interested in owning one, ring up your nearest Jaguar dealership and inquire about this car. The Portfolio tag is Jaguar’s mark for its limited edition luxury runs.

The US-spec XJ Portfolio packs 4.2-liter supercharged V8 that delivers around 400 horses. Quite a wallop for something that’s not build for sporting and performance. But it does make sense given the load that this car will be carrying. Its 20-inch Selena alloy wheels already pack a lot of weight to the car. And that’s just only on the outside.

Inside, the XJ sports hand-crafted Rich Oak veneer and softgrain leather upholstery. The shifter’s aluminum with leather trims and the alloy gear selector, with aluminum gearshift surround also has leather trimmings on them. The car also packs a lot of electronics and control systems.

For the premium one, you get “individually heated and cooled front seats; 7-inch Touch-screen operation of the satellite navigation, Jaguar premium sound and dual-zone climate control systems; Bluetooth® connectivity for up to five separate telephones; JaguarVoiceTM, Adaptive Cruise Control, and rear multimedia system with DVD player and twin display screens.

Source: Jaguar