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By
EWAN KENNEDY
11 July 2005
The biggest news from the British home of Jaguar is the return
of the so-called Leaper emblem to the front of the bonnet. Once a
feature of many of its cars, the leaping Jaguar was taken away for
safety reasons. Now, special engineering that sees the leaper fold
out of the way if a pedestrian is unlucky enough to get hit by it.
In 2003 Jaguar added a long-wheelbase variant to
the new XJ lineup, and we’ve just spent a most pleasant week at
the wheel of an XJ8L. As well as time in the back seat, because
that’s what the long-wheelbase is all about. There's an
additional 125 millimetres in the length and this really does give
the back seat decent legroom at long last. There's plenty of
stretch out space for two occupants. Such as businessmen who want
to discuss matters or do some work whilst the chauffeur transports
them through the traffic.
On the downside, literally, this is still a
low-slung sporting sedan and getting down into that spacious rear
seat will test the knees and back of anyone who is getting on in
years. Many feel the extra inconvenience in getting into the seat
is more than compensated for by the ambience that surrounds you
once you are established there.
There's an interesting choice between a rear
bench seat (which can be optioned up to power adjustment) or
separate individual seats (power-adjusted as standard) with a
console between them.
The boot is wide and long, but somewhat lacking
in depth, again a problem created by the low sporty body.
Using lightweight aluminium for the body means
that only 24 kilograms has been added to the overall mass with the
longer wheelbase.
Also on the extras list are dual TV screens in
the rear that can run DVDs. An iPod or MP3 player can be played
through the upmarket audio system.
Interior ambience is something the British maker
does oh-so well. From the full-wood dashboard to the exquisitely
shaped leather and perfectly formed seats this saloon’s cabin is
a wonderful place to be.
On the road the big new Jag continues to offer
the sort of luxurious travel that has endeared its predecessors to
owners and their friends for decades. It’s not a bad car for the
driver, either. The big 4.2-litre V8 has plenty of punch and
delivers the power in a lovely silky smooth fashion that’s a joy
to behold.
Fuel consumption isn’t usually a worry with
the owner of a car like this, but you will be pleased to note that
the engine is a thoroughly efficient modern unit that minimises
fuel usage and, at the same time, reduces the amount of exhaust
emissions.
On test we averaged 11.2 litres per hundred
kilometres overall, with consumption often being below 10 litres
per hundred on gentle motorway running at 100 to 120km/h. Even in
the suburbs the consumption seldom went much over 13 litres per
hundred kilometres.
The sleek Jaguar saloon’s lines are very
familiar, seemingly being unchanged for almost a decade. But
underneath the latest Jaguar XJ8 lies some stunning new
technology. The designers have gone the high-tech route with their
new baby. Building it almost exclusively from aluminium has cut
the mass by something like 200 kilograms, giving the big cat
sports car like performance.
There are those who were critical of the shape
of the new XJ8 when it was launched in 2003, saying it’s too
much like the old car. But why shouldn’t it have been? The old
shape was stunningly beautiful. And Jaguar is very much a
traditional marque and its lines should be interfered with only at
the peril of losing buyers.
All versions of this latest Jaguar feature a
six-speed automatic transmission. It uses an early form of manual
overrides called J-gate by Jaguar. Good as it was in its time, the
system is looking a bit on the old-fashioned side and we wouldn’t
be surprised to see Jag go for a modern tiptronic-type auto the
next time around.
Some may find the steering on the light side in
the standard cars, primarily because the main market for Jaguars
is the USA where they like their steering like that. Others will
feel right at home with the lightweight system.
If you enjoy driving around in the ambiance of
an English gentleman’s saloon and your budget doesn’t run to a
Bentley or Rolls, then this Jaguar XJ8L may be just the thing for
you.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
XJ6 3.0-litre four-door sedan - $149,900
XJ8 3.5-litre four-door sedan - $159,900
XJ8 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $174,900
XJ8 LWB 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $179,900
XJR 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $219,900
Supercharged V8 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $229,900
Supercharged V8 LWB 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $234,900
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard on all models
Air Conditioning: Standard on all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard on all models
CD Player: Standard on all models
Central Locking: Standard on all models
Cruise Control: Standard on all models
Driver Airbag: Standard on all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard on all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard on all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Jaguar XJ8 LWB 4.2-litre
four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 4.196 litres
Configuration: V8
Head Design: Four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 86.0 x 90.3mm
Maximum Power: 224kW @ 6000rpm
Maximum Torque: 420Nm @ 4100rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 5215mm
Wheelbase: 3159mm
Width: 2108mm
Height: 1455mm
Turning Circle: 12.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 1639kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 85 litres
Towing Ability: Not available
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Air suspension system with air spring/damper
units
Rear Suspension: Air suspension system with air spring/damper
units
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 6.6 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 14.8 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
City Cycle: 13.8 L/100km
Highway Cycle: 9.1 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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