The Jaguar XJ (X351) is a saloon car built by British manufacturer Jaguar Cars, later known as Jaguar Land Rover, from 2010 to 2019. It is the fourth-generation of the Jaguar XJ model. Referred to internally within Jaguar as the X351, it was announced in 2009 before going on sale in 2010, and combines revised styling with underpinnings of the previous Jaguar X350 generation. The model was discontinued in 2019. It is the final generation of the XJ, after the electric Jaguar XJ was cancelled in February 2021.
Overview
Jaguar invited Jay Leno to unveil the new XJ during the launch at the Saatchi Gallery in London on 9 July 2009. The event was broadcast live on the Jaguar website. The US model was unveiled at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Production of the car was due to begin in September 2009, with first deliveries being made in early 2010. Production later began in 2010, with the car arriving in dealer showrooms in May 2010. Production was initially carried out only at the Castle Bromwich Assembly plant in Birmingham, England. From 2014, assembly from complete knockdown kits, or CKD, of the XJ commenced at Jaguar Land Rover's facility in Pune, India.
Design
The XJ was designed at Jaguar Land Rover's Whitley plant in Coventry by a team led by design director Ian Callum. Design work began in 2005, with final design approval taking place in November 2006 and the design being frozen in the first half of 2008. The new design is a complete departure from any earlier XJ model; mechanically, the car is a development of its predecessor.
Models
In addition to the standard version with a wheelbase, a long-wheelbase version was available with a wheelbase. At the 2010 Moscow Motor Show, a high security version of the car called the XJ Sentinel was introduced. This is an armoured version of Long Wheelbase XJ with B7-level ballistic protection as well as providing protection against 15 kg TNT or equivalent explosive. It has the 5.0 L supercharged V8 engine shared with the XJ Supersport having a power output of and 19-inch wheels with Dunlop Self Supporting Technology run-flat tyres. Unlike other full-size flagship executive cars, the long-wheelbase variant was designed first and was expected to make up 67 percent of sales in the US market.
Engines
The engine used by the X351 are enlarged and upgraded versions of the previously used V8 petrol and V6 diesel engines.
Transmission and top speed
All 2010 models of the Jaguar XJ include standard six-speed automatic transmission with Jaguar Sequential Shift carried over from the X350, the main change being steering wheel shift paddles rather than the J-gate gear selector. The XJ has an electronically limited top speed of ; the limiter has been raised to for the XJR model. An eight speed automatic transmission was introduced from 2013 onwards.
Chassis
The XJ features a lightweight aluminium floorpan and body (with 50% recycled material content) based on the X350 chassis and retaining a proportion of the earlier floor pan. The biggest change is reversion to steel coil springs for the front suspension, retaining air suspension for the rear only. Continuously variable damping is electronically controlled as before but with driver selectable modes. The aluminium alloy uni-body makes the XJ L among the lightest of the full-size executive saloons despite its exterior proportions, weighing in at , which is lighter than the mid-size/executive BMW 550i.
Equipment
Driver information and entertainment is provided by a Bowers & Wilkins 1,200-watt, 20-speaker Dolby 7.1 surround-sound system, along with a bi-directional touch screen display on which the driver can only see the vehicle functions and satellite navigation data; a front passenger can simultaneously view a DVD movie or a television transmission. Standard equipment levels on the United States-spec XJ L with the base engine includes a panoramic dual-pane moonroof, lane-departure warning, navigation, quad-zone climate control, and power sunshades, which is considered to be generous at this price point compared to other flagship executive saloons.
Fuel economy and emissions
The diesel engine version had a fuel economy of better than and a emission rating of 184 g/km.