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News of September 18, 2002

 

The New 2004 Jaguar XJ - The Ultimate Expression Of Jaguar Luxury Sedan Engineering

The introduction of the new, seventh generation XJ range opens a fresh chapter in the story of the Jaguar marque. Against a background of significant growth - in 2001 Jaguar's annual global sales passed 100,000 for the first time, and this year will show another strong increase - the new XJ model remains quintessentially true to the core strengths and values that made the six previous generations of the car so popular. For more than three decades the XJ has been the definitive Jaguar sedan.

Working with the most advanced technologies ever used by Jaguar, the XJ program team has crafted a car that blends the ultra-modern with traditional Jaguar values. Lightweight aluminum construction provides new levels of strength, robustness and dynamic ability.

Photos: Jaguar/Ford

Engineering the new XJ to perform in all the areas that are expected of a Jaguar flagship sedan has resulted in a car that leads the way in the application of intelligent, relevant technology while providing the style and contemporary luxury that are the trademarks of the Jaguar brand.

The all-new 2004 XJ sedan makes its public debut at the Paris Motor Show on 26th September and will go on sale in the US from the second quarter 2003.

Dimensions for the new XJ: Length: 5080mm (200ins) Width: 1868mm (73.5ins) Height: 1448mm (57.0ins) Wheelbase: 3034mm (119.4ins)

THE XJ HERITAGE MILESTONES

The new XJ is the seventh generation to wear the XJ badge.

Total XJ production since the first model was introduced in 1968 is now comfortably past 800,000 cars - more than half of all Jaguars ever built.

The car that became the first XJ was originally known by its internal project number, XJ4. The XJ stood for 'eXperimental Jaguar'; there was no particular significance to the number 4.

The original strategy behind the XJ4 project was to replace the 420 and 420G sedans with a new luxury sedan, in response to similar cars appearing in Jaguar's important American market.

In his usual manner, Sir William Lyons tried a wide range of styling options including E-type features before deciding on the definitive XJ shape

When the XJ6 was launched in 1968, it was powered by the proven 4.2-liter XK straight-six. The XJ6 name was chosen simply because the car had six cylinders.

The XJ6 was launched on 26th September 1968. Sir William Lyons himself appeared in the advertisements for the car, declaring it to be the finest sedan Jaguar had ever made. The 4.2-liter automatic with power steering cost only $6,465 in the US. The 4.2 with the automatic gearbox had a top speed of 127mph and accelerated from 0 to 60mph in a still respectable 8.8 seconds.

The 5.3-litre V12 engine that had made its debut in the E-type Series 3 the previous year was offered in the XJ from July 1972. The XJ12 was born. At this time, the XJ12 was the only V12-engined sedan available across the globe, and with a top speed of 147mph the XJ12 soon captured the title of the fastest sedan in the world.

The revised Series 2 XJ range was introduced in 1973 as a 1974 model year car in the US and included an extra 4in (102mm) in the wheelbase. Featuring such innovations as side-impact intrusion beams and fibre-optic lighting for the switchgear, it was in many ways ahead of its time.

The design of the third generation XJ was entrusted to the famous Italian company, Pininfarina. Launched in September 1979 in the US, the Series 3 had even more elegant styling and carried on the Jaguar tradition at a difficult and crucial time in the company's history.

With the basic XJ design now well over ten years old, Jaguar was by the early eighties developing a replacement under the project code XJ40. This was the last Jaguar production car influenced by Sir William Lyons, who died in 1985 - a year before the new (fourth) generation XJ was unveiled in October 1986.

The XJ40 was more angular than previous Jaguars, and many versions featured large rectangular headlamps, as well as square rear lights. It was also the first Jaguar to feature a quarterlight in the rear pillar, creating a six light style.

Transmission technology was advancing fast, and XJ40 buyers were offered a ZF four-speed automatic with a new shift called the J-gate

The new generation XJ was an instant success, and a second assembly line was opened in 1987. By 1988, XJ production had increased to a record 41,000 cars per year

By the early 1990s, the next new generation of the XJ was under development, funded by a $300 million investment made by Ford after its takeover of Jaguar in 1989. The resultant redesigned XJ40, the X300, was launched in 1994 as 1995 model year car in the US.

At launch, the X300 was offered with a choice of the 4.0-liter six cylinder engine or a 6.0-litre V12. Most exciting however was the new supercharged version of the 4.0-liter, which powered the XJR. With a top speed of 155mph, it was just as fast as the twelve-cylinder car, but had even more spectacular acceleration.

In 1997 (or 1998 model year in the US), the six- and twelve-cylinder engines were discontinued and replaced by the new AJ-V8 V8 engine that had made its debut the previous year in the XK8 sports car. The sixth generation of XJ had arrived.

Available in 4.0-liter and 4.0-liter supercharged guises, the AJ-V8 engine's arrival meant that the famous XJ6 and XJ12 badges were finally retired after 29 years

With the unveiling of an all-new XJ sedan at the Paris Motor Show, Jaguar opens a new chapter in the story of the car that for many is the definitive Jaguar. The date - 26th September, 2002 - is 34 years to the day after the launch of the original XJ6.

(Sep. 16, 2002)

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