Introduction

In the past, car design used to be an art. A chassis was purchased and handed over to a coach builder for design and personal touches. Such vehicles reflected the class and taste of the owners as well as the company that built the car. The pioneers in this type of building were the British whose sensibilities were reflected in their vehicle’s lines, shapes and overall design.

However, with the advent of time and obviously leaps in technology, the process became more streamlined and obviously cost effective leaving such tastes and sensibilities to be overtaken by assembly lines and more importantly science, leaving no space for the reflection of the soul and creativity.

Well that seems to be the case among most manufacturers that is until you come to Jaguar. They have always been artistic yet realistic with their designs and this has been evident in their cars like the E-Type, D-Type and more recently the Project-7 race car.

It has managed to carry forward this philosophy to its standard range and this seems to have reflected well in its flagship model the XJL. The all-new Jaguar XJL was launched in 2009 and was the first major launch from the leaping cat after it was bought by the Tatas. This car was a radical departure from the previous models both in terms of styling and underpinnings. Since then the car has remained largely unchanged save for the model year updates and what we managed to get our hands on is the 2014 MY XJL.

What makes this car special is that it is being assembled for the Indian market locally for the first time at the British automaker’s plant outside Pune. The Leaping Cat has taken this opportunity to add some new equipment to the overall package for the rear occupants. The local assembly also means that XJL which was the costliest of the lot has now become the least pricey car in the luxury limo segment.

Looks and styling

When you first look at the XJL, it manages to grab your attention (even with a single glance) because there is a lot of it! It is long, low, and sleek and like its namesake, always appears to be on the prowl. The striking chrome grille with a mesh design catches your attention be it night or day while the singular bulge on the bonnet adds to the muscle appeal in a very British kind of way. The logo now comes with a red background as compared to the previous model where it had a black background.

The headlights (as one would come to in an obvious conclusion) are shaped like the eyes of the giant spotted cat. They are double barrel Xenon projector units with LED eyebrows. The bumper is new for this model year sporty and has chrome inserts in fog surrounds.

The side profile of the XJL reveals a forward sloping stance with blacked out C-pillars that aid in the image of a floating roofline. The lines on the side of the car appear to be minimal but in an elegant way with a crease on the lower section. There is a ridgeline running from the back of the softly flared front wheel arch to the base of the rear door. There is chrome on the door handles as well as on the air intake near the top of the front wheel arch.

Our test vehicle was in a shade of dark brown which looks fantastic especially in artificial light. It stands strong thanks to the 18-inch multi-spoke silver alloy wheels which add to the butch looks of the XJ. Looking at it from the side, the boot section looks stubby while the bonnet is long and low. Such a side profile also adds some sinisterness to the overall appearance of the XJL.

The rear of the XJL is dominated by the massive tail lamps which extend from the top of the boot to the opening gap resembling the hind legs of the animal it is named after. There is a chrome strip just above the number plate holder and some for the tail pipes as part of the theme.

The Jaguar XJL in this diesel guise rivals the Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350 CDI, Audi A8 3.0-litre TDI, BMW 7 Series 730ld. The S-Class and its heavy load of chrome are all about premium and prestige while the A8 with its futuristic looks stands apart in a very business-like way.

The 7 Series is quite understated (as is the case with most of the Bavarian automaker’s vehicles) while the flagship model from the Coventry-based manufacturer is low slung and looks to be sportier than its rivals. It obviously looks fantastic and more so at the rear profile which despite not having any major badging still manages to grab your attention due to uniqueness in design and more importantly the stance of the vehicle, guaranteeing the owner's attention whatever be the situation.

Interior

The country home of a British Gentleman is all about wood, leather and artistic appearance. It seems that wanting to keep this tradition alive; Jaguar has adorned the cabin of the XJ with pretty much the same concept. Getting into the driver’s seat you are greeted by a wood and leather wrapped steering wheel (We feel that Jag should have swapped the positions of the leather and wood for better grip on the wheel). It gets all the controls mounted on it including a few behind the wheel which makes it a comprehensive deal but a slightly cluttered one nonetheless.

In front of you is a full digital instrument cluster which is blue in comfort mode and changes to a sporty red in the dynamic and sport mode. While the display is engaging, it looks a little dated as compared to that of the S-Class which is the only other car among the quadruplet to have a full digital display. However, a plus point is that the fonts are engaging and work well in the overall scheme of the design.

The dashboard is a combination of high quality plastics, wood, leather and significant amount of chrome. Move over to the centre console and you find the touchscreen infotainment system and functions to control the four-zone climate control system. The latter works quite well and keeps the temperature in the cabin well regulated.

However, what appears to be a weak link in the XJL's interior line up is the touchscreen system. It is comprehensive and provides you with all the control but looks dated and is sometimes a little confusing to use. It feels like a major step down as compared to its rivals. The graphics are dated and the menus are organised in too confusing a manner to be used effectively and more importantly on-the-go. However, if you do get past the flaws, it has everything and will provide you with all the information when it actually comes down to doing the job.

In standard Jaguar fashion, the rotary gear knob pops out of the console when you switch on the car. It is surrounded by the various driving function buttons. There is a cup holder behind the dial while there is a small storage space on the left-hand side. Behind this setup is suede lined storage space with the AUX-IN and USB port. The sound system is a 20 speaker Merdian unit built for the XJ which provides good sound but is not as crisp as what you would find in the segment. It provides a variety of customisable options like DTS and Dolby surround sound.

While the front is exciting for obvious reasons, it is at the end of the day a luxury limo and that means that the stately gentleman or woman who is going to purchase this car will spend most of their time in the rear where it seems that Jag has put in some effort thanks to a host of updates. The updated equipment list includes massage seat functions, increased rear headroom, electric rear side window blinds, LED reading lights, rear screens and a new fold out table for the rear seats.

The seats are comfortable and provide all around support. The front and rear get three memory functions and the ability to adjust lumbar, under thigh support as well as neck comfort. The massage functions for the front seat can be accessed via the touch screen system while for the rear passengers, the buttons have been placed on the sides of the foldable arm rest. This means that along with the existence of a massive transmission tunnel, the rear of the XJL is strictly a two-seater and is rather cramped if you consider that this is a luxury limo.

The functionality of the rear screen needs to be enabled via the centre console and then can be controlled using remotes. One of the interesting points of this entertainment package is its ability to pick up TV channels. We were treated to rather static heavy transmissions of both DD Mumbai and DD Pune as we sped down the Expressway during our test run. There is also an AV input in the rear seat glove box.

Now the bigger question, does the interior make you feel special, do they reflect the fact that you have climbed into the flagship model of one of Britain’s most iconic car manufacturers?

There is no doubt that the XJL has a classy interior thanks in much part to the wood finish and correctly placed chrome inserts. The artfulness of the design indicates that aesthetics has been a primary guide rather than a complete dependency on science.

The overall package reflects well for Jaguar as it has a feature list very similar to the Audi A8L and BMW 7 Series 730ld but loses out on just a few minor details as compared to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, the dated infotainment system and rather tepid massage system seem a little beyond their years and are things that we expect Jaguar to update in the facelifted model.

Engine and gearbox

The Jaguar XJL is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine that produces 271bhp@4000rpm and 600Nm of torque@2000rpm with a redline of 6000rpm. It has been mated to the ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The availability of torque at such a low RPM means that this 5.2-metre British barge needs just a light tap on the throttle for quick overtakes and inching along in bumper to bumper traffic.

The engine makes a soft but throaty growl for a diesel mill especially when you rev it hard in dynamic and sport mode. It has an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 12.9kmpl and manages to stay close to that number even in real world conditions.

The power figures may not be much by global standards but for the Indian road conditions it is more than sufficient to make the XJL a fast and comfortable kilometre muncher. The acceleration gets addictive (especially on the highway) and will put a smile on the driver’s face even during a routine commute.

Jaguar has given the XJ various driving modes named comfort, dynamic, sport and a special one called winter mode. Each of these modes makes use of various ECU maps to alter the response of the throttle and gearbox depending on the conditions.

Comfort mode as its name suggests is the stock option which is what the car is driven in most of time. It changes gears at lower RPMs and is aimed at more economic and daily driving. The dynamic mode holds the RPMs for longer and speeds up the throttle responses while a combination of sport and dynamic gives you full manual control of the gear shifts and will hold the revs in each gear until you pull the right paddle. The winter mode is the most muted in terms of engine maps and is used for driving on surfaces with little in terms of grip.

Ride and handling

The luxury limo segment is one where comfort takes precedence over speed and performance and this is evident in most of the cars in this segment. The German machines are precise but too mechanical in nature while the XJL despite being a generation behind, wears it soul on its painted sleeves and involves you in the driving experience much more than you would expect.

The ride both at high and low speeds is not as comfortable as what you would expect in this segment and is on the stiffer side, putting it several places behind the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, this is not a major problem as it handles really well thanks to the stiff setup.

The stiff ride is also down to the large 18-inch wheels which are not suited to the uneven and rather bumpy surfaces found in India. However, this is a global setup and you will find the same 18-inch wheels in whichever market you buy the car. What you do get on the plus side with such a setup is that the car remains composed and precise at high speeds and this is despite the fact that it is 5.2-metres long and weighs 2.4-tonnes.

The hydraulic power steering is precise and weighs up correctly the faster you go. Jaguar has programmed the electronic safety net to work in such way that it is not too intrusive and will cut in only when it loses traction.

The bias towards precise handling over a softer ride we feel is somewhat down to the fact that the XJL is a car designed keeping the roads of the more developed worlds in mind where the tarmac quality is far higher but with the same kind of twists, turns and changes in elevation.

The brakes on the XJL are fantastic and rather ferocious, they are able to bring the car to a halt quickly and work well with rest of the performance oriented setup of the vehicle. The NVH masking in the cabin is spot on and it hides speed really well allowing owners to travel long distances in great comfort. The vibrations from the engine are almost negligible thanks to the high levels of insulation but it is not as good as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Verdict

The Jaguar XJL is a bit of an enigma when it comes to the luxury limo segment. It is comfortable and has all the goodies but just not in the same league in terms of its rivals. This is made up for when you lay down the hammer and get somewhere in a fast and ‘exuberant’ manner. An added card in its favour is that the diesel engine ensures that this car is not as thirsty as one would imagine it to be. This car is a bit dated as compared to its rivals and we can only hope that the facelifted model due sometime next year will fill in the gaps.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is comfortable while the Audi A8L is overtly scientific and looks too futuristic. The BMW 7 Series is also a driver’s car but lacks the goodies leaving the XJL to be the car that will get you A-list celebrity attention wherever you go. It will let you do this in speed, style and a decent cost but at the price of being entirely comfortable.

Where the XJL scores high is in terms of looks and wow factor thanks to the low slung sporty design and (we are not sure if this is an advantage or disadvantage) relative rarity of seeing the car on the roads. As one of my astute colleagues observed, the XJL resembles a speed boat and like the water craft, we believe that it is not a full VFM product but rather something that you can splurge when money is no object. It’s a bit brash but reflects that the owner will take on the road with full confidence.