Big cat is king of cool T

HERE is no doubt that Jaguar have made some beautiful cars over the years - the E-Type, Mk II and F-Type all come to mind... but there is one big cat that has always stood out for me.

Many years ago I was bowled over by my late father-in-law’s second hand beige Series One 1973 XJ6 2.8. He let me borrow it a few times - it looked amazing inside and out and drove like a dream… the wood and leather interior even smelling of pure class.

The XJ’s that followed for the next few decades all developed the same basic shape until, in 2010, the current model became a dramatic departure from the classic ‘three box’ saloon.

It bore no relation to its predecessors - especially the design of those controversial tail lights. Purists like myself were not convinced and, for a time, the XJ became a less common sight on our roads.

So when I got behind the wheel of this week’s test car, the 2018 XJ Portfolio SWB 3-litre V6 diesel I was not sure if I would discover a ‘proper’ Jaguar.

However, the wood (veneer) leather and chrome are all still there… as is that fantastic Jaguar smell and ‘wafting’ executive car ride.

What I really was not sure about was the fact this Jag was a diesel (when the XJ series was born only delivery vans had diesel engines) but this near 300bhp unit is amazingly quiet - you can easily forget there is an oil-burner under the bonnet.

And one big bonus of that lovely smooth V6 is that this big cat can do up to a claimed 54mpg - something unthinkable for an original XJ6. In fact, I remember accidently locking myself out of another borrowed 4.2 on the driveway while it was still running and I swear you could see the fuel gauge going down as it sat there purring away!

Car makers these days get stick for unrealistic mpg figures but I can say that over a week of mixed driving (including some in Dynamic mode) I averaged a shade over 40mpg - not bad as Jaguar’s claimed figure for combined driving is 48.

And don’t forget this is a big car, despite the extensive use of aluminium construction it still comes in at around two tonnes, so fuel efficiency is not something you would expect. Although the rearwheel-drive XJ is actually one of the lightest cars in this class – barely 40kg heavier than the smaller (though steel-built) XF saloon even in longwheelbase form.

Since its introduction eight years ago the XJ range has twice been revised, in 2014 and 2015 when those striking rear lights were toned down a little along with equipment upgrades and minor body revisions.

Our 3-litre diesel is the best seller of the range but there are also a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol and a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 in the XJR with supercar performance - but you will need to stump up £97 grand to get one!

There are numerous trim levels to choose from, in both short and longwheelbase models with Luxury, Premium Luxury and Portfolio while R-Sport is only available in the SWB and Autobiography in the LWB.

Automatic LED headlights and revised daylight running lights are standard on all models. The rear lights are all LED and Jaguar says the three distinct red strips are reminiscent of a cat’s claw marks.

In the sumptuous cabin the infotainment system was upgraded in 2015 to the far superior InControl Pro unit and features a 360-degree camera and even the £54,650 entrylevel Luxury models come with quality features including 14-way adjustable electric front seats, fourzone climate control, all-round heated seats and a panoramic sunroof.

Upgrading see other luxuries such as cooled seats, massaging front seats, Meridian sound system, digital television and driving assistance systems added.

The top of the range XJR gets a sporty body kit, quad-exhaust and active differential control and Autobiography trim, only available on the LWB versions, comes with rear business tables and entertainment system, including 10.2in screens.

Despite its size the car is easy to drive with light steering (except at high speed) and the classy dashboard is well laid out with quality materials and easy to use controls.

And one of the XJ’s advantages over its, mostly costlier, German rivals is very generous boot space at 520 litres.

Standard kit on our Portfolio model includes sat nav, and DAB radio on a 10.2 inch touchscreen infotainment system, front and rear parking sensors, heater front and rear screens, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, heated and cooled seats all round (front with massage and memory functions), premium sound system and auto lights and wipers. There is also a drive select system giving snow, dynamic and normal modes.

But all this kit, performance and luxury comes at a price - in this case from £70,515 and a few extras including privacy glass, illuminated tread plates and a 360 camera system added another four grand to that price but, as I said earlier, comparable German rivals are more… and don’t have that ‘Jaguar’ factor.

More information at jaguar.co.uk