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October 20, 2009, 3:52 pm

Neiman Marcus Jaguar Sells Out in Hours

By Stephen Williams

For those who haven't reserved the special black cat in the Neiman Marcus 2009 Christmas catalog - the redesigned, $105,000 2010 Jaguar XJL Supercharged - time has run out.

In slightly more than four hours on Friday, all 50 copies of the limited-edition Celestial Black sedan were booked over the phone, according to AutoWeek. Affluent Jag aficionados (are there any other kind?) can place their names on a waiting list, in case there are cancellations or the stock market tanks again.

The handsome Jaguar, powered by a 5-liter V-8 engine rated at 470 horsepower, is the third Jag to be listed in the heralded high-end holiday book distributed by the retail store. It was preceded by a 1968 XKE Grand Touring Coupe and a 1997 XK8 Convertible. This latest one arrives with a set of matching leather luggage and an interior trimmed in navy and ivory leather.

The XJ has a fabled history dating back more than 40 years. The redone XJ, being built under the auspices of Jaguar's new owners, Tata Motors, will be available in less spectacular trim levels when it goes on sale in the United States early next year, starting at $72,500 for the naturally aspirated model (and up to $115,000 for the long-wheelbase Supersport).

For folks who may have been shut out of the Neiman Jag, there's a host of other gifts in the Christmas Book to consider, including a dinner party at New York's Algonquin Hotel with notable writers ($200,000) or a visit to the Maker's Mark bourbon distillery in Kentucky (only $7,500).

When the Jaguar XF first went on sale in the U.S. in 2008, it did so with two engines: a naturally aspirated, 300-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 and a 420-hp, supercharged version of the same unit. Just over a year after the car was launched, however, Jaguar has completely revamped the powertrain lineup and the range. The base XF retains its 4.2-liter engine, but the XF Premium model features a naturally aspirated, direct-injected, 5.0-liter V-8 making 385 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. The XF Supercharged model adds a supercharger to the Premium's direct-injected 5.0-liter, good for 470 hp, while the range-topping XFR gets a 510-hp version of the same engine.

The Premium model offers the best combination of performance and value in the XF range and carries a base price of $57,000, roughly $11,000 less than the XF Supercharged. The car comes well equipped, with standard 19-inch wheels, navigation, heated and cooled leather seats, blind-spot monitoring, front parking assist, a rear-view camera, bi-xenon headlights, a sunroof, and a power tilt/telescoping steering column.

The only available options are a premium sound system, a heated leather steering wheel-which was fitted to our tester and bumped the price up by $300-adaptive cruise control, and a power rear sunshade. Sybarites can also opt for the Portfolio package-which adds 20-inch wheels, a suede headliner, deep-pile carpeting, and contrasting stitching-for an extra $4000.

Less Power, Equal Performance

Like all XFs, the Premium model moves sweetly down the road, with a supple ride that's married to good body control, accurate steering, and nicely balanced handling. The new engine is a sweetheart, with excellent mid-range response and a muted growl under hard acceleration. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and has an excellent manual override, orchestrated via paddles on the steering wheel.

Compared with the old supercharged model, which had 35 more horsepower and only about 25 more pounds to lug around, we recorded remarkably similar acceleration times for the new 5.0. Zero to 60 mph took 5.1 seconds versus 5.0 for the forced-induction car, while the quarter-mile was dispatched in 13.6 seconds at 106 mph, compared with 13.5 at 107. In passing maneuvers, however, the new XF 5.0 was a tenth faster from 30 to 50 mph and from 50 to 70 mph, at 2.6 and 3.5 seconds, respectively. Braking performance was excellent, with the 70-0-mph stop taking 157 feet, just two feet longer than both a Porsche 911 Carrera S and Cayman S. The EPA gives the 5.0 city/highway fuel-economy figures of 16/23 mpg, while our lead feet managed 20 mpg overall, which was the same as our long-term 2009 XF Supercharged achieved over 40,000 miles.

Flawed Beauty, Nice Package

However, there are still some areas in the XF that need addressing. The infotainment/climate-control system is only accessible through submenus that are Byzantine at best and perverse at worst. Jaguar is supposedly going to add hard buttons for the seat heaters instead of the touch screen interface that currently exists, a move that can't come soon enough. And while the unique pop-up rotary shift selector looks cool, it still seems gimmicky. Rear-seat headroom for taller occupants isn't the best in class, either.

Despite its quirks, the XF is a solid luxury package overall. It looks terrific and distinctive, has a clean and modern interior, and has one of the best ride/handling balances in its class. At the price of our tester, it undercuts the less-powerful Audi A6 4.2 and BMW 550i by about $4000 and is a hair cheaper than the 382-hp 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550, which isn't as well equipped as the Jag. But as far as the XF goes, it's hard to see a reason to move up to either of the supercharged versions, especially considering their added cost.

2010 Jaguar XJ

Here Kitty ... Nice Kitty

In other news, Jaguar's all-new XJ Super Sedan was recently shown to the public, and it completely knocked my socks off from the pictures I have seen. I will get my first look at the $72,000-plus chariot in person at the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach on August 14-16, as can any of you fancy folks so inclined to make the trip up to the gorgeous Monterey Bay area. And I will bring you full coverage of Jag's newest fat cat as soon as I drive it.

Pins and needles: Jaguar awaits word on approval for its two-way info panel in new XJ

Imagine you design a gorgeous new luxury sedan, but one of the most unique elements may not get government approval. That's the situation that Jaguar's Ian Callum faces.

Callum is the lead designer for Jaguar. His latest prize, the flagship XJ, gets its American debut next week at a big auto show in Pebble Beach, near Carmel, Calif. It has something unique. The navigation screen is designed so that it gives different images when you look at it from different directions, kind of a prismatic effect. The driver and passenger don't see the same image even when they're looking at the screen at the same time. The car's passenger can watch a movie while the driver looks at a driving map on the same screen at the same time.

Freaky? Maybe. There's just one problem. "At the moment, it's technically illegal," Callum said.

The problem is that entertainment systems aren't generally allowed in the front seat when the car is moving. The prohibition is aimed at reducing driver distraction. Callum says that the system in the XJ prevents the driver from ever seeing the entertainment elements. Now he has to see if the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agrees.

 

Jaguar leaps back into luxury market with XJ sedan

01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, August 2, 2009

By G. CHAMBERS WILLIAMS III

San Antonio Express-News

Jaguar, the U.K. luxury-car brand bought by India's Tata Motors Ltd. last year, unveiled the first overhaul of its flagship XJ sedan since 1968 to boost demand and help return the company to profitability.

JAGUAR JAGUAR

The newest generation of Jaguar's flagship XJ sedan was unveiled by the company this month in London, with TV personality and rabid car-guy Jay Leno on hand to take the wraps off the new model.

Intended to compete against the Mercedes-Benz S-class and the BMW 7-series, the new XJ goes on sale in December as a 2010 model, and dealers already have begun taking orders.

First introduced in 1968, the XJ has been the workhorse of the Jaguar lineup of premium British motorcars, and the newest version is intended to continue that role as the automaker settles in under the ownership of India's Tata Motors.

Tata bought the iconic brand from Ford Motor Co. last year along with the premium British sport-utility vehicle maker Land Rover.

The redesigned XJ moves upscale, with a starting price of $72,500 (with freight) for the short-wheelbase model with a 5.0-liter, 385-horsepower normally aspirated V-8 engine. That's up about $6,000 from the current model.

A long-wheelbase version will be offered as well: the XJL, with a beginning price of $79,500 - up nearly $10,000 from the current generation.

Next up the line is the Supercharged model, with a 470-horsepower version of the 5.0-liter V-8 and a price of $87,500 for the short model and $90,500 for the long wheelbase.

For the enthusiast with money to burn, the top XJ model, the Supersport, will cost $112,000 for the short version and $115,000 for the long one. It will come with a version of the 5.0-liter engine that turns out 510 horsepower.

All models come with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is a bit surprising, though, since some competitors offer seven- or eight-speed gearboxes.

This is the third and final major overhaul of the Jaguar lineup, with the new XJ following the redesign of the top-end XK models two years ago and introduction of the new XF line last year, which replaced the S-type.

Styling has been changed considerably in a move to give the XJ a newer, more streamlined look after four generations that essentially looked the same even when they were restyled.

The car has a wide front track and a nose that is clearly Jaguar, with a mesh grille and xenon headlights.

The sides drop down straight now, with the bulging beltline gone. The roof is more steeply raked, as well, and it extends back over the trunk. The coolest feature may be the double glass sunroofs, which give the car an almost completely glass top.

Still, the new model is obviously a Jaguar, even viewed from a distance, which is important to help Jag maintain its brand identity.

Besides the panoramic roof, other new features include a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel that replaces the traditional analog gauges and an LCD touch-screen that will control such functions as the climate control and audio systems.

Dealers are hoping the new model will jump-start sales of the XJ, which have stalled this year in the midst of the great recession and the slowdown in the auto industry that has brought an overall drop of more than 35 percent in U.S. sales through June.

The XJ has fared even worse than that, along with most mid- and high-end luxury models, as many people who were able to buy cars in this price class suddenly found their portfolios drastically reduced and their disposable incomes disappearing.

Jaguar reported that it sold only 810 of the current XJ in the first half of 2009, after selling a total of 2,452 last year and 4,474 in 2007, which was a record year for U.S. auto sales overall.

The company has suggested that it expects the new XJ's sales to run up to 1,000 a month, but the economy probably needs to recover a lot more than it has before such a volume would be possible if it ever will be.

Raising the XJ's prices so dramatically in the middle of such a downturn probably won't help Jaguar toward that goal, either.

The company said in introducing the XJ that the new car "offers a seductive mix of striking design and robust performance made possible by Jaguar's aerospace-inspired lightweight aluminum body technology."

"The launch of the all-new Jaguar XJ marks a major milestone for Jaguar in North America, which is expected to be the world's largest Jaguar XJ market," said Gary Temple, president of Jaguar Land Rover North America.

"The debut of our ultimate four-door flagship follows recent recognition for exceptional dependability and clearly demonstrates our commitment to producing the finest cars in the world - fast, beautiful cars that offer luxury, performance and first-rate quality."

Aluminum bodies are the norm at Jaguar now, and using one on the new XJ cuts about 300 pounds off the weight compared with the previous model.

The new model builds on the success of the XK and XF, the company said, representing "the third step in the revitalization of the Jaguar brand" and redefining "the world's perception of a large sports sedan."

In the long-wheelbase version, there will be even more space for passengers in the back seat, where a lot of owners of cars such as this ride with a chauffeur driving. There is an extra 5 inches of legroom for the rear passengers over the present model.

The trunk has 15.2 cubic feet of space and comes with a power-opening feature. An alloy space-saver wheel holds the spare tire.

Inside, the car offers the pure luxury that Jaguar owners expect, with a choice of leathers, chrome and wood trim, and advanced audio systems such as the 1,200-watt Bowers & Wilkes system that is standard on the Supercharged and Supersport models.

No EPA fuel-economy estimates have been announced yet.