- Gobs of supercharged V8 power
- Surprisingly nimble handling
- Yacht-like interior luxury
- Sublime B&W sound system
Cons
- Outdated 6 speed transmission
- Less than roomy interior
- Sluggish touch screen interface
The days of the lumbering land yacht are over, or so it would seem, after driving the new 2011 Jaguar XJL Supercharged. Buying a large luxury sedan like the XJL used to mean lots of cushy, roomy opulence, with the priority firmly placed on pampering over performance. Now, with close to 500 hp under the hood and huge, sticky sports car tires at the corners, this big Jag can do VIP duty in the evening and hit the racetrack the following morning.
Driving Impressions
“OMG! This car is freakin’ fast!!!”
So blurted an unsuspecting passenger after I stood on the throttle of our XJL Supercharged test car. Despite what many people may think of big British luxury sedans, the new XJL from Jaguar is a legitimate speed demon, especially in supercharged trim. With 470 hp available from the boosted 5.0L V8 engine there is plenty of power on tap, and courtesy of an all-aluminum body there is also surprisingly little weight (only 4300 lbs).
This adds up to the kind of head-snapping acceleration that you just don’t expect from a car this large. It also invites the kind of immature behavior that is surely unbecoming of such an otherwise stately automobile. Feel like drag racing the kids in the hot hatch lined up next to you on the on-ramp? Just hit the gas and smile as you leave them in the dust.
Handling is also a far cry from the barge-like road manners of Jaguars of yore. The steering rack in the XJL Supercharged is the same unit you’ll find in the smaller XFR, which makes for very responsive steering, to the point that it almost feels too light and quick. Point and shoot handling may be fun, but it gets a bit dicey when you’re throwing around a car that’s as long as a full-size SUV.
Luckily the rest of the handling goods are up to the task. The suspension is exceptionally well executed, striking a perfect balance between handling and ride quality. The brakes are plenty powerful, but can be a bit grabby at low speeds. Securing the XJL to the ground is a set of wide, ultra low profile summer tires, similar to what you’d find on a Porsche or Corvette. Needless to say, the amount of grip available is more than you’d ever really need on public roads.
Should you decide to test the cornering capabilities of that sticky rubber, make sure to put the gear selector in sport and then hit the button with the checkered flag on it, which activates the competition mode. This firms up the shocks, quickens the throttle response, changes the shift points, and dials back the stability control. Just make sure you don’t have any passengers in the back, for they might get a bit upset when your exploration of the limits of lateral grip ends up throwing them sideways across the cabin.
About the only let down from a driver’s perspective is a transmission that is short a few gears. With all the 7 and 8 speed automatic transmissions available these days, having just 6 forward gears makes the XJL seem a bit out of date. Fuel efficiency also suffers as a consequence, especially on the highway. At 70 mph, the big V8 is humming along at around 2400 rpm, which is at least a few hundred too many. Adding a few more overdrive gears should help bring fuel efficiency closer to 20 mpg combined, instead of the rather thirsty 17 mpg the car gets now.
As we noted in our recent review of the standard XJ, Jaguar has created an “interior of the Gods” for its flagship sedan. There is a distinct nautical feel to the interior design, from the large circular air vents to the sweeping arch of the dash that will remind you of the curve of a ship’s bow. Interior materials are of the highest quality, with luxurious tan leather covering the seats and rich wood trim adorning the dash and door panels. The interior is so nice that we wonder why someone would spend the extra several hundred grand to buy a Bentley.
Speaking of Bentleys, the XJL’s new exterior design seems to have been inspired a bit by this other classic British luxury marquee. From the imposing front grill to the muscular rear haunches, the new design is definitely a departure from the previous XJ and looks more like the four door cousin of a Continental GT. Although some will lament the lack of continuity, the XJL makes a bold visual statement that still fits within Jaguar’s current design language.
The XJL Supercharged comes standard with a host of interior luxury features, including heated and cooled seats for both front and rear, massaging seats for the driver and front passenger, quad zone climate control, and a panoramic glass roof. In terms of comfort, the only real disappointment is the fact that the XJL just doesn’t seem that roomy, especially for the long wheelbase version of a full-size luxury sedan. Rear legroom is generous, but not excessively so, and headroom is less than ample, especially for taller passengers.
As you would expect, the XJL also comes loaded with the latest technology, but unfortunately the execution of some of the electronics comes up short. On the plus side, the 1200 watt B&W premium sound system is simply fantastic. Load up your favorite jazz or classical music on the built-in hard disk and you’ll swear your listening to a live performance. Equally impressive is a virtual instrument cluster that uses an LCD panel to display a trio of simulated analog gauges. Not so impressive is the touch screen display that controls the sound system, navigation, and other basic functions. Response time is unusually slow and the user interface is merely adequate.
Our test car came equipped with the optional rear seat entertainment package, which puts 2 small LCD screens in the front seat headrests and gives you a neat little touch screen remote controller that docks into a fold down console, which also includes USB inputs for watching the latest digital media. Unfortunately this system suffers from the same lag time and the screens are really too small for sustained viewing, especially now that you can get a iPad, which is over twice as big, for much less.
Verdict
There is something bizarrely cool about a truly large and luxurious automobile that can also keep up with all but the fastest sports cars. Of course, it would be the rare person who buys an XJL Supercharged purely for the performance, but the fact that you could give it a go on the track is really quite remarkable.
What is also remarkable is that the XJL Supercharged is actually a very good value. You might be wondering how anything with a $95,650 msrp is a good value, but given the level of performance and luxury, this British behemoth actually undercuts the German competition. An equivalently optioned Audi A8 or BMW 7 series will set you back well over $100k, and given the superior performance and design, the XJL is arguably the more compelling vehicle. Now if only we had the money to be making that kind of shopping decision.
| BUILD | INTERIOR | PERFORMANCE | HANDLING | STYLING | VALUE | OVERALL | |
| RATING | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 A-/ |
