New Jaguar XJ to show in July

I love the Jaguar XJ, particularly the Supercharged version (which is no longer available as the XJR – shame), but even I have to admit that it’s no longer a car I would want to live with everyday. Its strength, and ultimately its weakness, is that it looks little different conceptually from the iconic XJs first launched in 1968.

It is absolutely true that Jaguar has done a remarkable job of bringing the XJ up to date both under the skin and in the cabin. But it’s now perceived, quite rightly, as a bit of a luxury dinosaur. Where once it was the default choice for British businessmen to fly the flag, the allure of more contemporary contenders like the Mercedes S Class, the Audi A8 and the BMW 7 series have eclipsed its allure. But that’s about to change.

Cars UK has learned that the all new Jaguar XJ will be revealed in July. Looking to all intents like the big brother of the hugely successful, and capable, Jaguar XF, the new Jaguar XJ should take the executive car world by storm.

The current XJ’s aluminium structure will be retained, but with a suspension setup derived from the XF. Many of the XF innovations will carry forward in to a sleek, modern executive saloon that should do for Jaguar at the top end what the XF has done in the mid-sized sector. Expect engines to include the new 3.0 twin-turbo V6 Diesel and the 5.0 litre V8, with an XJR once again joining the lineup in time.

The XF was a renaissance for Jaguar. It looks like the XJ will be the icing on the cake. Roll on July, I say.