2012 Jaguar XJL Supercharged: Jaguar unleashed

In 2008, Jaguar (and Land Rover) changed hands, from Ford to Tata, an Indian manufacturer known for building the Nano, the world’s least expensive (and cheapest) car. So, you had to wonder, what was a company like that going to do with a prestigious brand like Jaguar? And what about Land Rover, the English brand also included in the deal? Five years later, Jaguar and Land Rover are as alive and well as ever. Jaguars, for example, are still as beautiful and high performance as ever, with intoxicating concept car after intoxicating concept car parading through auto shows the world over. Basically, the future looks bright after all.

A few months ago, I had the chance to drive Jaguar’s flagship model, the XJ. This enormous sedan was completely revamped two years ago. Thanks to designer Ian Callum’s wonderful blueprint, the last XJ heralded a new era at Jaguar. In 2012, the XJ is still every bit as spectacular to look at and its looks even better in person than in photos. In my humble opinion, the extra long tail end with its vertical lamps is particularly nice. The headlights look like cat’s eyes and the long hood adds the impression of power.

Neo-classicism at its best

The XJ has a more typical dashboard, which leaves it more vulnerable to criticism. Indeed, many people don’t like the large round air vents. Personally, I didn’t hate them, but I didn’t love them either, though I must admit that the high fresh air output in the summer heat had a large hand in keeping me comfortable. The leathers, wood and chrome go together exceptionally well to form a modern passenger compartment with classic accents.

In front of the driver, the three completely conventional looking gauges are, in fact, digital (high definition, of course) and adjustable according to the driver’s preferences. In the middle of the dashboard, there’s a large and easy-to-read screen, but unfortunately, the information that it displays is a little delayed. Otherwise, there are no complaints.

The layout of the various buttons is ergonomically sound and they are sufficiently large to be handled safely while driving. The only exception is the volume button for the Bowers & Wilkins audio system, which is too small –but I still managed to abuse it, given the excellent sound quality.

Both the front and rear seats prove very comfortable and you’d have to be a real nit-picker not to like them. Rear visibility isn’t the XJ’s strong suit, but nor is it the forte of any recent car in this world where safety has become such a major issue. Is it just me, or does that seem illogical?

So, in the middle of a heat wave, we drove a Jaguar XJL Supercharged. The “L” means that we had the long version (3,157 mm wheelbase instead of 3,032 and overall length of 5,247 mm instead of 5,123). The version with the regular wheelbase already features good legroom for the rear passengers, so you can imagine the legroom with the long version. But above all, the most impressive part of our car’s moniker was without a doubt “Supercharged”. Oh my God!

Powerful and smooth

This 5.0-litre V8 develops 470 horsepower and a torque of 424 lbs-ft thanks to a supercharger. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that transmits power to the rear wheels, this engine emits a great sound in flat-out acceleration. The transmission isn’t always as fast as you may like, but shifting is so smooth that we won’t hold a grudge. However, a twin-clutch gearbox would be fantastic. During our weeklong test drive punctuated by ill-timed accelerations for no other reason than to listen to the engine, our average fuel consumption was 12.8 L/100 km, which isn’t bad at all for such a powerful car. It goes without saying that it runs only on super.

At the time of our test drive, all-wheel drive versions are still not available, so our XJ was a rear-wheel drive. The XJL Supercharged can be as docile as a kitten or can roar like a lion. Driven sanctimoniously, our car featured solid handling and extreme comfort, but the power is still there – lying in wait – and all it takes is a tiny push on the accelerator to completely transform the car. It goes from 0-100 in 5.2 seconds, which is impressive considering the vehicle’s weight of nearly 2,000 kilos. Good thing it has an aluminum chassis!

When the beast is pushed beyond the sensible limits, handling remains excellent despite the perceptible roll. By deactivating the electronic assistance and choosing Sport mode, it’s possible to pivot the car’s tail end by simply playing with the accelerator – but only on a race track, kids. However, the XJL isn’t a battle-tested sports car like a Porsche Panamera, for example. When prodded, the steering isn’t a model of precision and in a succession of curves, the car feels heavy. On the other hand, halleluiah, the handling is phenomenal regardless of the speed or the condition of the road. Still, I had a hard time driving fluidly at low speed. The unprogressive accelerator and the over-sensitive brake pedal are to blame.

Here comes the “but”

The picture is almost idyllic, but the XJL that I drove was far from perfect. At almost $120,000, it’s unacceptable that the front doors, when closed, sound like the doors on a 1973 Chevy Impala. Furthermore, I didn’t like the fact that the black-lacquered parts of the console reflect sunlight directly in my face. Sure, the numerous chrome elements are exquisitely beautiful, but they not only contributed to blinding me, but they became hot to the point of being hard to even touch.

If it wasn’t for the chronic lack of reliability of Jaguar and Land Rover products, I would vigorously recommend the XJ, with our without the long wheelbase, Supercharged or not. Although Jaguar seems to want to improve, it remains at the bottom of the J.D. Power dependability study. It’s a shame, a crying shame.