The current Jaguar XJ's sheetmetal is an evolutionary design with elements easily traced to the original XJ of the late 1960s. While a similar design strategy has worked for the Porsche 911, it hasn't for the XJ, and at this point, it looks like a car only the Queen would drive. The dated-looking sheetmetal completely hides the car's modern aluminum construction, resulting in sales that can be gently called less-than-stellar. But that's all about to change with the next-generation Jaguar XJ. Set to arrive sometime next year as a 2011 model, it will no longer be the automotive equivalent of a Victorian-era Tudor mansion built with modern masonry technology.
Details are still scarce, but it's evident the old design language is going completely out the window. As evidenced by spyshots of early prototypes, the next XJ not be all that different on the outside from the popular XF, which has given the long-struggling British marque a new lease on life. The dated stodgy British banker interior should be on the way out as well in favor of the XF's techno-chic design fit for a bailed-out Wall Street financier.
Powering the 2011 XJ should be Jaguar's new 5.0L V-8s -- a naturally aspirated unit rated at 380 hp for the standard models and a supercharged version rated at 510 hp for the likely Super V8 -- found under the hood of the 2010 XF and XK. These are a substantial improvement from the 300-hp, 4.2L in the current XJ and 400-hp, supercharged 4.2L in the Super V-8 and they eliminate the Jag's power disadvantage against its German competitors.
Bottom Line: Fresh design and updated powertrains should make the XJ a player in the high-end-luxury segment once again
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