The designers of the Jaguar XK have created a 4-passenger grand touring car in the best European tradition. While the heritage of this "Cat" is visible in the small oval grille, enclosed headlight clusters and swept-back roofline, the fully radiused wheel-wells, 19-inch alloy wheels and pronounced rear deck spoiler are more contemporary design cues.
The complete XK stable includes four models: the XK Coupe, a Convertible XK and the performance "R" version of both body styles, the XKR Coupe and Convertible.
Power for both the non-R models comes from a 4.2 liter dual overhead cam V8 that produces 300 horsepower and 310 pound feet of torque; enough to propel the Jag from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds for the Coupe and 6 seconds flat for the Convertible. Opt for the 420 horsepower supercharged "R" version and 0-60 elapsed times drop by a second in each category. There is one transmission choice, a 6-speed sequential automatic, sending power to the rear wheels.
Fuel economy for the XK ranges from 15 miles per gallon city, up to 25 miles per gallon highway.
12.83-inch ventilated ABS disc brakes, Traction control and Dynamic Stability Control are standard features that harness the big Cat and keep it under control in adverse driving conditions.
Our Jag came with the optional "Luxury" package that up-graded the interior with additional leather on the instrument panel, a heated steering wheel and 16-way adjustable power seats. In addition, the standard 160-watt 6-disc CD/MP3 player audio system can be upgraded to an 8-speaker 525-watt system, which sits next to the standard touch-screen DVD-based Navigation system. Dual-stage front and seat-mounted side-impact airbags protect passengers.
Base MSRP for the 2009 Jaguar XK is $77,000. A fully loaded XKR convertible will top out at around $105,000. The XK is backed by a 4-year, 50,000-mile basic warranty.
If you're shopping for a European Touring car with styling that bridges the gap between old and new, the 2009 Jaguar XK Coupe and convertible embody this notion, while adding the latest performance, safety and communications technologies to the package.