2016 Jaguar XJ

Rarely seen, but not forgotten.

First Drive Review

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. Oscar Wilde’s line seems particularly apt when applied to another great eccentric, the Jaguar XJ. Because despite being both a fine luxury sedan and the conspicuously charismatic choice in a part of the market typically more conservative than Texas talk radio, the big Jag has never gained much traction against its obvious rivals.
 
Mechanical changes are minimal, with all U.S. powerplants continuing unchanged. The only substantive alteration is the switch to electric power steering in two-wheel-drive versions—apparently the system can’t work with the front axles of the all-wheel-drive variants.
We sampled the new setup in the sporty XJR, which remains the most powerful member of the clan and quite possibly the best way to experience Jaguar’s long-serving 5.0-liter supercharged V-8, here in 550-hp tune. The electric power steering is effectively invisible, with similar weighting and response to the old hydraulic system. Jaguar clearly doesn’t want anyone still buying a hydraulically assisted XJ to feel cheated.
As before, the XJR combines the sort of effortless low-down performance that luxury-sedan buyers expect with the ability to deliver truly startling pace at very little notice. The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts intelligently: it’s unobtrusive when asked to waft and acts with appropriate aggression when required. Test-track performance is impressive enough—we ran the 2014 version from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds and from rest to 100 mph in 8.8 seconds—but real-world pace feels even stronger. The car found impressive traction even on the greasy surfaces of the English roads where we drove it. The XJR feels like a big car due to the simple fact that it is, but it also feels lighter and more responsive than all of its obvious rivals.
Little has changed, but that which has been altered has improved the XJ’s (and the XJR’s) case. This is a car that deserves to be talked about a little bit more.