50 years of Jaguar XJ in one photo – and all you can buy now is a diesel XJ.
The Jaguar XJ – Jaguar’s range-topping model – is now available in the UK with just a single diesel engine option as the XJ continues to fade away.
The Jaguar XJ is almost ten years old, and beyond a very small nip and tuck along the way it’s changed very little, as Jaguar seem intent on letting it wither on the vine.
Yes, there’s talk of an all-new electric Jaguar XJ on the horizon, but Jaguar’s efforts to keep the XJ appealing, which it still is, seem half-hearted, and even the 50th Anniversary XJ50 earlier this year was a very minimal effort to celebrate half a century of a car which did as much for Jaguar as the E-Type.
Now, as the XJ continues its decline, WLTP testing has signalled the death knell for every Jaguar XJ except the diesel-engined version. For the first time since it arrived you can’t have a petrol XJ, with the 3.0 litre supercharged petrol and the V8 Supercharged petrol in the XJ575 both binned.
With sales of the XJ in 2018 running at little more than half of those in 2017 – just a few hundred a month worldwide – a new XJ is becoming a rare sight on UK roads, which is a real shame for a car which has epitomised Jaguar for half a century.
Nigel Humphries says
They aren’t buying the 7 series or S Class either and haven’t been for 20 years. The problem is that all these cars are too big for the roads and car parks, and don’t offer enough over their smaller stablemates to justify either the price or the extra depreciation. What Car? did a test in the 1970s comparing a 5 series to a BMW 3 litre and concluded that 4″ of rear legroom cost £5000 – a huge amount in 1977 money. The rise of the SUV sounded the death knell – now its only the US and China keeping them going.
Mark Geller says
So very sad. Nothing rides like the XJ saloon, but who is buying them? Only the Germans seem to be partially successful at selling this class. with the 7 series and 550s. Even the A8 is not really a seller. If Jag can really bring the XJ back as a relevant Porsche competitor, and Electric to boot, l will be their loudest fan. However, none of these cars will ever have the numbers of say a 3 series, as young people with money don’t relate to the large executive class of cars today. The class needs additional relevance and top notch electronics which Jag has always lagged on.
Cars UK says
W really fell for the current XJ when we spent a chunk of time with it in 2010 (https://www.carsuk.net/jaguar-xj-3-0-litre-diesel-review-road-test-2010/), and we still think it’s a great car. It’s just a shame Jaguar has lost faith and buyers don’t give it a proper chance. Maybe a big electric car is the way to go, but we’re not entirely convinced.