Interview with Jon Quirk
So Jon, as a Series One owner, what do you reckon to the new Jaguar XJ?
I reckon it’s every bit as brave and beautiful as the 1968 original. Let’s be honest, it was about time Jaguar shaked up those 40-year old design cues with something radically different. And to produce a slightly scaled-up version of the Jaguar XF would have been such a cop out. This is the XJ we’re talking about, the car that re-defined luxury saloons.
New Jaguar XJ
Come on though, it does have more than a hint of Maserati Quattroporte up front and that back end is erm…challenging.
Design is supposed to challenge us! New design languages always take time getting used to, remember a bloke called Chris Bangle? People always try to impose conformity but there’s a duty for a creative person to make something different. Would you rather the XJ continued to step out of a Tardis? It isn’t about afternoon tea and croquet sets anymore.
I (kind of) see your point about the snout. I also heard a few people saying they thought the rear lights looked like they were from a Lancia Thesis. But stand back for the bigger picture and you’re left in no doubt that this is a Jaguar. It may be modern, but it’s still fraught with traditional Jaguar design cues; the square grille, the teardrop window graphic, the wide and low stance. The result is not only the most revolutionary Jaguar saloon ever, but also the coolest.
It does look very cool. So what area impressed you most?
Wow, so many areas. The cabin is outrageous; there’s a plasma screen that digitally produces your sat nav and speedo dials up front, but from a geeky point of view, I’d probably have to say the bonnet. There’s so much curvature on that single sheet of aluminium, I haven’t a clue how they’ve manufactured a press to do that…
The best looking luxury car anywhere! Well done Jaguar, about time you started to compete with Audi and BMW. Only thing missing is a decent convertible that would compete with the small BMW and Audis.
This is the best Jaguar XJ Review i have read and i have read many because I am looking to buy the new Jaguar XJ, thanks for the review.
I used to be a Jag owner until about 10 years ago when I was tempted by the more modern styling and better reliability of Lexus. I have severely dissapointed in Jaguar ever since, particularly with their “new” XK, which looks like a Ford Cougar at a distance and the XF which screams “I cannot afford an Astin Martin”. However, this “All New XJ” does look absolutely stunning inside and out. Well done Jaguar, its about time you updated the XJ for the 21st Century. This might be the car which brings me back into the Jaguar fold.