Living the dream in a 2013 Jaguar XJ AWD
It’s hard to think of many ways to make the stylish Jaguar XJ even better. But the engineers and designers at the British luxury brand set out to do just that for 2013, introducing an all-wheeldrive model and a new 3.0-litre supercharged V6 generating 340 horsepower.
They recently invited journalists from around the world to the Montreal and Mont-Tremblant areas for the global launch of the Jaguar XJ and the redesigned Land Rover LR2.
Jaguar’s flagship sedan was redesigned for 2011, but the automaker said the new engine and AWD system expands the model’s offerings and its market reach.
After taking the LR2 from Old Montreal to Mont-Tremblant, we switched into something a little more elegant for the next part of the event, trying out the XJ and the first-ever AWD system on the model at the Mécaglisse track in Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci.
While Mother Nature didn’t co-operate with a dumping of snow, the Jaguar team put together an obstacle course with portions of ice on which we could test the XJ, which has a base price of $89,900 for the 3.0-litre AWD model. The AWD XJ is also offered in a longer wheelbase, called the 3.0L AWD Portfolio, and it has a starting price of $96,000.
The AWD system, which was tested for 18 months by Jaguar engineers in various conditions before its introduction to the market, uses active power transfer technology and will send most power to the rear wheels in dryroad conditions. This allows the XJ to retain the sporty agility and steering feel of the rear-wheeldrive version.
When accelerating f rom a stop, the system applies preload torque to the front wheels to help increase traction.
Once under way, if no slip of the rear wheels is detected, the AWD system seamlessly switches to its rear-biased configuration.
When you put the system in Winter mode, the XJ’s on-board computer will optimize the setup for slippery conditions, with a default power split of 30 per cent up front and 70 per cent to the rear.
By preloading the torque as such, it is able to maximize traction on slippery surfaces.
Depending on conditions, as much as 100 per cent of the power can be sent to the front or rear wheels. And if both wheels on one side of the XJ are slipping, power can be sent to the other two to make sure the XJ gets moving.
What gets the AWD moving is Jaguar’s new supercharged 3.0L V6, combined to an also-new eight-speed automatic transmission that is quite effortless in its machinations.
Housed under the XJ’s sleek bonnet, the engine delivers 340 horsepower and 332 foot-pounds of torque in smooth fashion. It is quite hard to get the engine unsettled, as I was able to see during the track time and a few hours behind the wheel on twisty roads around Mont-Tremblant.
The new V6 joins the other competent power plant in the XJ lineup: a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 that delivers 470 horses for the XJ Supercharged and 510 hp in the limited-production XJ Supersport.
Honestly, the 340 horses offered by the new V6 are more than enough to motivate this fast cat, with a zero-to-100 km/h time of 6.4 seconds.