Sleek lines for ageless XJ

Jaguar has employed a "lifestyle" approach to the XJ, enabling designers to minimise its carbon footprint.

Jaguar design chief Ian Callum describes the new XJ saloon as the most "emphatic statement yet of Jaguar's new design direction".

The British marque has unveiled its new flagship at a glittering knees-up at the exclusive Saatchi Gallery in London, hosted by American television host and car nut Jay Leno and starring Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson.

The four-door XJ has been designed to appeal to a whole new generation of customers, those who on the whole were turned off by the retro-design language of the XJ line-up over eight generations since 1968.

The new Jaguar takes on a revolutionary new look similar to that of the XF sedan - but it goes even further. The hatchback-style silhouette, panoramic glass sunroof, chromed mesh grille and stretched tail-lights help to create its own identity.

"The new XJ is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the quintessential Jaguar," says Callum. "Its visual impact stems from the elongated teardrop shape of the car's side windows, that powerful stance and its wide track."

Callum added that glass roof gives the XJ a lower, more streamlined roofline "as well as enhancing the feeling of light and space inside". But despite its lower-slung shape, the car's drag coefficient is a modest 0.29Cd.

The first deliveries of the new model will land in New Zealand in March/April next year, powered by a choice of 3-litre V6 diesel or 5-litre V8 petrol engines. Prices in Britain start at £52,500 ($135,200) for the standard diesel.

The XJ will be available in standard- and long-wheelbase models. Both versions offer an expansive 520-litre boot. The short wheelbase has a 12.3m turning circle, the long-wheelbase 12.7m.

The standard XJ rides on a 3032mm wheelbase and measures 5122mm long, 1894mm wide and 1448mm high. The stretched version measures 5247mm long and has a 125mm-longer wheelbase of 3157mm.

The kerb weights range between 1796kg for the standard short-wheelbase diesel to 1915kg for the long-wheelbase V8.

The car is built around an aluminium spaceframe body which, says Jaguar, helps to make it 150kg lighter than its key luxury rivals, including the BMW 7-Series, the Mercedes-Benz S-class and Audi A8.

More than 50 per cent of the car is made of recycled material, a "lifecycle" approach that enables the XJ to minimise its carbon footprint, says company managing director, Mike O'Driscoll.

"These are truly exciting times for us at Jaguar," he said. "The new XJ is truly beautiful, exhilarating to drive, and with its bold, enlightened approach to design, it meets the challenges of our fast-changing world. It re-imagines the ultimate sporting luxury car."

The XJ gets the latest technologies such as air suspension, a continuously variable damping system dubbed Adaptive Dynamics, a new Active Differential Control feature and a quick-ratio power steering system, all of which are said help to give the XJ the sort of "responsive, dynamic handling and refined, supple ride expected from a Jaguar".

The petrol and diesel engines will drive the rear wheels via a shift-by-wire, six-speed automatic transmission controlled by the JaguarDrive Selector or steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

Jaguar says the twin-turbocharged V6 diesel in the entry-level XJ delivers 202kW/600Nm, burns 7 litres/100km (40mpg) and has a CO2 grams/kilometre rating of 184g/km.

Headlining the petrol units is a 375kW/625Nm supercharged V8, which catapults the top-range XJ from zero to 100km/h in a claimed 4.9 seconds.

Jaguar claims town-and-around fuel economy for the supercharged XJ of 12.1 litres/100km and average CO2 emissions of 289g/km.

A detuned 346kW/575Nm version of the same supercharged V8 is next on the list, followed by a naturally-aspirated version producing 283kW/515Nm.

The XJ range meets new EU5 emissions standards, comes with an 82-litre fuel tank and boasts an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h.

The interior features extensive chrome and piano black highlights and a prominent wood veneer beltline that runs across the top of the new wrap-around dashboard and continues along the sides of the leather-clad cabin. A touch screen with dual-view technology will allow passengers to watch DVD movies or television while the driver views vehicle or satellite-navigation functions.

Jaguar says the optional 1200-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system is comparable in audio quality to the world's best home entertainment systems and includes hard drive-based audio and navigation systems, plus external audio and video connectivity via a "Media Hub".

The cabin will be available in "a choice in colours, veneers and leathers not seen before in a Jaguar". The 375kW XJ Supersport will come with leather headlining, leather trim and veneers with laser inlays.