Jaguar, as a premium auto brand, has earned the respect of many for years. But some other brands, which used to trail behind it, have almost levelled up, threatening to dust it, leaving people to wonder if the London-origin firm is going into extinction.
But the auto giant may have returned to the top of the chart with the unveiling of all-new XJ (L) and XF.
About two years ago, Jaguar admitted there was a massive hole in its product line-up, the lack of all-wheel-drive vehicles, and promised to close it.
Details of the 2013 XF and XJ as revealed during a recent test-drive in Durban, South Africa, show the exquisite designs, captivating interior, synchronising infortainment and smooth driving for the new vehicles.
The manufacturer says the introduction of the new models was part of the Jaguar expansion product offers to key global markets.
Jaguar specifically says two additional petrol units have been introduced to its range to enhance customer choice. They are 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine and the 2.0-litre i4 turbocharged petrol engine.
The auto firm says the three-litre V6 engine will replace the naturally-aspirated version of the five-litre V8 for the 2013 model year.
Fuel economy
The Product Investigation Manager, Mr. Stephen Coxley, who spoke with journalists before the test drive, had prepared the minds of the drivers for the unprecedented fuel efficiency record of the vehicles.
According to him, with the V6 engine, the fuel economy is improved by about 11 per cent in the city and 22 per cent on the highway compared to the V8 engine in the older model.
This, he stressed, was made possible by the aluminium engine; and the evenly distributed weight of the vehicle accounted for the amazing stability while on high speed.
Coxle says the fuel efficiency is also boosted by the engine’s compatibility with Jaguar’s Intelligent Stop-Start system.
The system shuts down the engine in just 300 milli-seconds after the car has come to a halt, allowing for fuel consumption improvement of about five per cent.
Similarly, the system is able to restart the engine in less time than it takes for the driver’s foot to move from the brake to the accelerator.
Handling
People will get the comfort of a sport utility vehicle/four-wheel drive in the new XJ/XF, while on occasional off-road; the cruise control device enables the driver to turn off outside noise and vibration on a rough terrain.
Engines
The 3.0 V6 petrol engine has been developed by Jaguar powertrain experts from its existing award-winning 5.0-litre V8 – the all-alloy engine, which has received plaudits from around the world in applications from long wheelbase limousines to 300km/h convertibles.
The 3.0 V6 shares many of the V8’s key technologies including direct injection, variable valve timing, and aluminium construction and offers comparable levels of refinement and driveability to the naturally-aspirated version of the V8 engine, but with greater specific output and efficiency courtesy of supercharging technology.
The 2.0-litre I4 Turbocharged Petrol engine uses a range of state-of-the-art technologies for power generation that belies its size, and its introduction to XF and XJ models will see it installed in north-south orientation.
It produces 240PS and 340Nm, with the use of three key innovations – low-inertia turbo-charging, direct fuel-injection and variable timing of both the intake and exhaust camshafts.
The Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars, Adrian Hallmark, said, “Jaguar currently has its strongest range of products for several decades. Our continued growth is dependent on two things; activating the awareness of the brand, and expanding our range to enable us to access new customers in both existing and emerging markets. The introduction of these two additional forced-induction petrol engines is integral to this ambitious plan.”
Group Chief Engineer Powertrain, Jaguar Cars, Ron Lee, said, “Both the 3.0 V6 and 2.0 I4 Ti make intelligent use of forced-induction technology to produce high-specific output in an efficient way, while delivering the compelling combination of flexibility, refinement and driver reward that are integral attributes in all Jaguar engines.”
Infortainment
The new models have three stereo systems. The base, only available on the XF, is a 250-watt, 10-speaker Jaguar-branded system.
Coxle says system is unique coming from the electronic specialist, Meridian.
The optional sound systems were developed by the British ultra-premium specialist, Meridian, a world leader in audio technologies and digital signal processing.
The two Meridian audio options start with a 380-watt, 14-speaker unit and end with an 825-watt, 20-speaker setup.
They are said to be equivalent to the more powerful B&W units while using less power, and are equipped with Bluetooth audio streaming, 30GB hard drives, a single-slot CD player and a virtual CD changer to upload 10 CDs, HD radio, aux jacks and two USB ports
Suspension
Jaguar says it has improved the suspension refinement and performance on the new models.
“All models in the range benefit from recalibrated spring and damper tunes offering enhanced ride isolation and occupant comfort on all road surfaces, with no impact on the model’s acclaimed dynamic ability,” the firm says.