New Jaguar XJ range will include a Hybrid

The new Jaguar XJ saloon will feature a full Hybrid model by 2011

Jaguar’s plans for the new Jaguar XJ are getting close to showing, as we reported recently, with an official reveal due in July. But thanks to a £300 million loan from the European Investment Bank, it looks like the big Jaguar will be offering up a Hybrid version.

The loans JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) have acquired come with some conditions attached and, surprise surprise, those conditions revolve around developing ‘Green’ technology for the JLR range.

But, according to Autocar, this won’t be a simple sop to the loan conditions, but a full-blown technology feast utilising technology similar to that in the forthcoming Vauxhall Ampera. And that means aiming high in the eco-credentials stakes, with a Jaguar XJ that offers 30 miles on the electric motor only, 50+mpg, Co2 emissions of less than 120g/km and a top speed of 110mph+.

The Electric Jaguar will come to the market within a year of the launch of the all new Jaguar XJ, which means we should see it in early 2011.

But the new XJ Hybrid is just the headline. JLR are committed to reducing Co2 across their entire range by 25% in the next 3 years. There is a ‘Mild’ Hybrid version of the Range Rover Sport in development, and a range of full hybrid cars, small capacity diesels and of course the launch of the baby Range Rover, based on the LRX Concept.

Added to this are the plans for the next generation of big off-roaders (the Discovery, Range Rover and RRS) which will sport alloy bodyshells, and extensive use of lightweight materials such as aluminium, in a bid to make significant reductions in weight therefore providing big fuel economies.

As we said the other day, necessity is the Mother of Invention.