It’s been 36 years since Jaguar brought out their first XJ6, and a number of my good friends have bought them over the years. This was not because they were great cars, but because they were so — well, crap. Their six-cylinder engines were fragile and horrendously expensive to overhaul, so there was always a goodly supply of the older cars going cheap. My mates used to buy every worn-out XJ6 they could lay their hands on. Then they’d either install a reconditioned 5,7 litre Chevrolet V8 under the bonnet, or they’d rip out the rear axle with its inboard disc brakes, for use in a hot-rod, and scrap the rest.
But that was then and now is now. Since Ford absorbed Jaguar into their Premier Group stable, the British products have improved in leaps and bounds. Last year the marque sold 32 958 cars in the UK and, in the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study in that country, Jaguar’s XJ saloon was rated second in the premium luxury car segment. In doing so it scored ahead of every other European manufacturer in terms of quality and dependability.
The new three litre Jaguar XJ6 is an impressive motor car. The factory’s managed to cut the body weight by 60% through the use of sheet aluminium body panels and aluminium alloy extrusions and castings. Despite the loads of technology that make this the biggest, highest specced XJ6 ever, the manufacturers still managed to lower the vehicle’s overall mass by 200kg. This means that the lovely three litre AJ-V6 engine with its 175 kW of power and 300 Nm of torque can get the big car up to 100 km/hr within 8,1 seconds, on its way to a 233 km/hr top speed.
Technology freaks won’t be disappointed by the quality or quantity of the various electronic thingamijigs tucked away in the Jaguar package. The big cat comes with air suspension equipped with Jaguar’s CATS — Computer Active Technology Suspension — a system that adjusts damping to suit the circumstances. It also automatically drops the car’s ride height by 15mm when the car tops 160km/hr, improving aerodynamics, road-holding and economy.
I covered nearly 400km in the demo Jaguar during the week I had it, and found it to be one of the most advanced cars I’ve driven in a long while, despite it being officially regarded as the “entry level’ XJ.
Specification levels of the car were extremely high, with electronically adjustable and programmable front seats and foot-pedals, an electronic, self-releasing hand brake, rear park distance control, manual sunblinds on the rear side glass and an electric sunblind for the back window, climate control with separate ducting for rear seat passengers, leather upholstery, and a sunroof being just a few of the features that come as standard. There is also three-level electric heating for the front seats, and I was surprised — when I flicked the switch activating the driver’s seat warmer — to discover that the steering wheel warms your hands in sympathy. Add to that the air suspension, the aircraft technology involving 3 000 rivets and acres of aluminium in the body shell, and the lively V6 engine mated to a superbly smooth ZF six-speed auto transmission and I’m sure you’ll understand what I mean when I call this car “advanced”.
But Jaguars have always been about driving, and this one is no exception.
The ride is comfortable without being soft, and the sound levels exceptionally low, meaning you can waft along in absolute opulence without a hint of shame, so isolated do you feel from the outside world. But get on the gas and the engine under the long bonnet begins to sing gloriously. And while the car isn’t the quickest thing about, it’s lively enough to see off most of the tin boxes on wheels that swarm around on our roads. The best part is that when a formidable-looking contender lines up alongside you at the traffic lights, it’s quite acceptable for you to glance boredly in his direction, then ease gently away when the lights change. You may not get across the intersection first, but you’ll still have won.
The Jaguar XJ6 is an outstanding motor car that even at R595 000 offers very good value for money. After driving this car and its Premier Group stablemate, the new land Rover Discovery III, my belief is that the injection of Ford dollars and technology into the British brands is the best thing that could have happened to the Poms. Good one, lads. Long live your Empire!