2015 Jaguar XJL screams ‘That’s not infotainment’
I don’t get it. Designing a beautiful luxury car to compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8 and BMW 7 means that every consideration must be brought to the table. Jaguar designed the most gorgeous dashboard on the market; engineered a powertrain that is powerful, fuel-conscious and surprisingly nimble for a long wheelbase; and centered it all on an outdated infotainment system that would embarrass Toyota.
It’s like offering a gourmet meal and handing your guest a plastic fork.
You just don’t do that with a flagship sedan.
The first fail is the 8-inch touch screen. There’s nothing luxurious about reaching forward and tap-tap-tapping to flip through a screen. Push-button dials such as Audi’s and Mercedes’ are neater visually and functionally. Redundant steering wheel controls circumvent the audio maze, but the problems with navigation can best be summarized by one acronym: POI. Using point-of-interest to search something nearby or at your inputted destination is so 2011, which was the last full redesign of the XJ.
With a full redesign on the horizon for 2016, Jaguar needs to get up to speed on the tech product cycle. It makes no sense for Jaguar to consistently overlook the driver’s main interface with the vehicle, aside from the pedals.
What makes it so vexing is the otherwise impressive stance of the XJL. The L, or long wheelbase, adds five inches to the rear, so while the low roofline tapers off a bit too tight for rear-seat occupants in the XJ, the L is comfy. The front cabin is spectacular. Above the problematic center stack is Jaguar’s classic torpedo vents, split by an analog clock, all molded into the navy interior. Blue accent lights accentuate the blue-on-white boardroom-at-sea scheme. I love that design: har-
What isn’t bumpy here is the ride. There are other luxury liners more fun to drive, but few are as complete as the XJL, especially with a base model that starts at $84,700.
mony, symmetry and style in a space that in many other cars is often bumpy at best.
What isn’t bumpy here is the ride. There are other luxury liners more fun to drive, but few are as complete as the XJL, especially with a base model that starts at $84,700.
The base model XJL comes with a 3-liter supercharged V-6 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and all-wheel drive that favors the rear. It generates 340 horsepower and 322 pound-feet of torque. The aluminum construction helps shed hundreds of pounds to make the V-6 jump without delay and handle like a smaller car. It is quiet and soft at highway speeds, which you’d expect. What I didn’t expect was averaging 32 mpg on a 100-mile highway drive at 61 mph. That’s 33 percent better than the EPA rating of 24 mpg highway.
The XJL has a more stately front, with a bold Bentley-esque grille, but with a low, sleek roofline that tapers off into an understated rear. Overall it is sportier, which is a great improvement for Jaguar’s stuffy reputation.
There’s a lot to love about this car if you can get past the everyday frustration of the infotainment system.
Engine: 3-liter supercharged V-6 Transmission: 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters and
all-wheel drive MPG: 16 city, 24 highway Parting shot: Striking interior design submarined by subpar
infotainment system