TMCnet News
Albuquerque Journal, N.M., Ken Walston columnMay 21, 2011 (Albuquerque Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Tradition be damned. After decades of hewing to design templates laid down in the late 1950s and early '60s, Jaguar has embraced the future -- in dramatic style. Witness the top-of-theline 2011 XJ. No longer a captive of a retro design imperative, Jaguar's largest luxury sedan grabs the eye with a long, sleek body topped by a low, fastback-style roofline. It looks like nothing else on the road and immediately commands attention, declaring itself to be something special in an era of copycat high-end sedans (think Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, even Hyundai's Equus). No-one will mistake the XJ for anything else. Radical changes continue inside the cabin. Banished to a faraway corner of the empire is the stodgy, gentleman's club ambiance of yore. The new dashboard sweeps around and away from the front seats -- like the dash cloaked in topquality hides -- with accents of gleaming wood or, as an option in our Supercharged model, slashes of techylooking carbon fiber. Gone too is the fiddly J-gate shifter, replaced by a neat, pop-up knob on the console to control the six-speed automatic transmission. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel provide added driver involvement. Exquisite detailing abounds, coupled with impeccable fit and finish. But Jag may have gone a step too far with the LCD instrument panel which displays "gauges" and information in a video-game style. A lovely set of analog chronograph-type meters would be the perfect touch. The Supercharged model's mid-level V-8 blasts out 470 potent horsepower, providing near-Corvette acceleration. Fortunately, the big sedan's adaptive suspension is more than up to the challenge, providing a superb balance of highway composure and sporty handling. The big sedan is a perfectly willing partner when asked to hustle down rural two-lane blacktop. The brakes, while extremely strong, require an unusually light touch, resulting in the occasional unintended overapplication. The new Jaguar XJ's transformation is nothing short of astounding. 2011 Jaguar XJ Supercharged VEHICLE TYPE: Four-door, fivepassenger luxury-performance sedan BASE PRICE: $87,700 PRICE AS TESTED: $90,525 (incl. delivery fees) POWERTRAIN: 5.0-liter, DOHC, supercharged V-8; 470 horsepower; 424 lb.-ft. torque; sixspeed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive WHEELBASE/LENGTH: 119.4"/201.7" CURB WEIGHT: 4,281 pounds EPA FUEL RATING: 15 mpg city/21 highway (premium grade) To see more of the Albuquerque Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.abqjournal.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Albuquerque Journal, N.M. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |