Jaguar’s new XJ will be a low-slung, sporting luxury car, these new spy photos confirm. Although taken from a long distance with a telephoto lens, we can make out that the latest XF executive car will have plenty of influence on the new 2010 Jaguar XJ.
The disguise is starting to fall off the prototypes and these are the first scoop pictures of the new limo, codenamed X351, without the armadillo body armour of the previous stories.
So how will the real new Jaguar XJ look?
Stripped of the fake roofline, we can now begin to see how swoopy the new XJ will be. We reckon the new four-door will move away from the upright, sensible proportions of conventional luxury cars such as the Audi A8, BMW 7-series, Lexus LS and Mercedes S-class.
Instead, expect a lower-slung sports saloon – that arcing roofline is a real surprise. It’s plain to see that the new XJ will put sporting beauty over headroom, carrying over plenty of XF styling language inside and out. That means the handshake start-up, opening ‘eyelid’ air vents and the JaguarDrive rotating gearshift.
When will we actually see the new XJ?
Sooner than you might believe. The XJ will be shown in July 2009 ahead of its Frankfurt motor show debut. UK sales kick off this winter.
The XJ will continue the aluminium construction of today’s model to make it the lightest car in the class. And a fully glazed roof, like on the new Aston Martin Rapide, will also be offered.
Armed with a suite of new 5.0-litre direct injection petrol engines (in naturally aspirated and supercharged forms) and the latest 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesels, Jag insiders claim it will set the benchmark for performance and emissions.
In particular, the 3.0 TD will, we hear, offer the lowest CO2 rating of any luxury car – hybrid or not. We can’t wait to see the real finished car…
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