Jaguar have begun assembling the XJ L in India, adding more gadgets and even more value with a drop in price of half a crore.
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Luxury is a relative term, or is it? The Americans make everything bigger. The Italians mix their leather with carbon-fibre, while the Germans mix their leather with technology and massive engines which would last into the next century and beyond. The British, however, take things a little differently. It’s probably the craftsmanship, the leather or, maybe, even the wood. It’s no surprise that the most luxurious automotive brands are English and in that long list of historic names is Jaguar.
Gaydon has created some timeless automobiles thus far, and it seems it will keep doing so for some time to come. Yes, except that one of the models conceptualised there, a very important one for Jaguar, will not be coming out of Castle Bromwich; rather it will be rolling off the line from Chikhli in Maharashtra. Tata Motors, the company that now owns Jaguar and Land Rover, moved assembly operations for the XF first, and now the diesel XJ L joins the completely knocked down (CKD) kit list.
What that means for us is that the Jaguar XJ is now even more incredible value, if you could say that for an eight-figure price-tag. The price drop for the XJ L V6 D Premium Luxury model is a whole locally-assembled Land Rover Freelander SE less! What earlier was Rs 1.6 crore (OTR, Pune) is now just over Rs 1.1 crore. What’s more, the new XJ L brings even more to the party.
While you still get the smooth 3.0-litre V6 with all of 275 PS and 600 Nm and that silky eight-speed automatic transmission, inclusive of the paddles, there is a range of features which have either been added or enhanced to further improve the luxury feel of the car, though the focus of these updates has been mostly at the rear.
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The new Jaguar XJ L now features electrically-adjustable rear seats complete with a massage function and three intensity settings. The rear headroom has also been increased slightly. Standard kit now includes Rear Seat Entertainment with a pair of 10.2” LCD screens, a pair of LED rear reading lamps and new foldable business tables integrated into the front seat-back. The rear side-window blinds are electric, while the doors get the soft-close feature – a very nice touch which, in our opinion, even as the sportiest luxury car of the lot, really makes a difference in increasing its elegance.
To the audio now. Those who enjoy the sound of choice tunes will truly appreciate the new 825W Meridian surround audio system. The set-up of front tweeters, mid-range, door speakers and rear speakers with a subwoofer to round it all off delivers an immersing sound experience. Everything from Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture to some heavier tunes from ‘Dream Theater’ came to life on this incredible sound system.
There is a lot that goes into making a luxury car. You cannot put a whole bunch of leather-wrapped goodies into an aluminium shell, give it an engine and expect it to float over tarmac. That’s where Jaguar have got it so incredibly right. The XJ L, with its twin-turbo V6 diesel and its lake of torque, can get a move on in a hurry, and yet leave you cosseted in the lap of luxury without a care in the world.
In the driver’s seat, it feels like a Jaguar would, albeit a little larger. It doesn’t feel as heavy as it is, and the nimble handling is a pleasant surprise. The road conditions in India can let a bump and thud filter through. Good as these class of luxury cars are, they cannot defy the basic laws of physics. That is a price we pay over and above the eight figures, with no respite in sight.
The new XJ L then can be every bit the wildcat Jaguars in British Racing Green are on track, but it does that on the road, and it behaves itself. A wildcat in a suit, at your beck and call, then.
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Need to Know: Jaguar XJ L V6 D Premium Luxury
Price: Rs 1.14 crore (OTR, Pune)
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6, turbocharged, direct injection, diesel
Max Power: 275 PS at 4,000 RPM
Max Torque: 600 Nm at 2,000 RPM
Transmission: Eight-speed, automatic, RWD
Weight: 1,772 kg
0-100 km/h: 7.47 seconds
Top Speed: 250 km/h (electronically limited)
Fuel Efficiency: 7.12 km/litre (overall)
