It was at the 2013 Auto Expo that Tata Motors-owned luxury auto manufacturer Jaguar announced that they would also start making their flagship XJ sedan besides XF which they were already assembling in India. The XJ takes on the likes of the established German cars like Mercedes-Benz
S-Class, BMW 7 Series and the Audi A8. The company also announced that the XJ model would be offered in both petrol and diesel engines except the XJ ‘Supersports’ which would continue to be sold as direct import.
On the exterior front, the XJ will remain unchanged except it will have a new wheel design. The long snout and coupe-like roof design combined with the blackened C-pillar and the upright taillights make the XJ one of the most beautiful cars in its segment.
The Made-in-India Jaguar XJ will be powered with a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine making 240PS of peak power at 5500rpm and 340Nm of peak torque at 1750rpm. The company on the other hands expects the diesel-powered XJ to do more well. The 3.0 litre, V6, turbocharged, diesel engine will pump 275PS of peak power at 4000 rpm and peak torque of 600Nm at 2000 rpm. The XJ sprints from 0-100 kmph in under seven seconds. Both the models will come with 8-speed ZF transmission with power being delivered to the rear wheels. The Jaguar XJ is also one of the best engineered vehicles and comes with 4-wheel independent suspension and air ride technology. Inside the 2014 XJ will get a slight upgrade; it will be available with a choice of bench or individual seats with an entertainment being offered as standard. The package will include two independent screens, which can play various multimedia formats. The XJ’s large glass roof will continue to be provided in the Indian-built cars.
We expect the Made-in-India XJ to be priced around `90 lakh (ex-showroom). The company is planning to bring in the new model by June and will sell it only in the long wheel base version.
