From MSN
New Jaguar XJ - officially unveiled
After months of rumour and teaser pictures and videos, the much anticipated new Jaguar XJ limousine has been officially unveiled at a reception at London's Saatchi Gallery on Thursday evening.
The car was unveiled by American chat show host and famously passionate petrolhead Jay Leno, together with Jaguar boss Mike O'Driscoll and design director Ian Callum. Jeno joked that when Jaguar rang him up about him hosting the event, they said "But the bad news is that we don't have any money." Leno claimed he simply replied, "That's OK - I assumed you were calling me to borrow money."
So joking aside, how does it look? Well, the spy shots and teaser images had suggested a sleek, XF-inspired look for the all-new XJ and now the covers are off we can see these predictions were pretty much spot on. An imposing grille and sleek lights wrapping back around the bonnet give the car a sporty, aggressive look.
And the low roofline and shallow windows add to the sense of style, the XJ blurring the boundaries between traditional luxury saloons and so-called four-door coupes like the Mercedes CLS, Maserati Quattroporte and the Porsche Panamera we drove for the first time just the other week. But it's at the back where the XJ gets a bit more controversial.
Slim LED lights wrap around the rear wings, giving a whiff of Bentley Continental GT to the rear quarter while black-painted C-pillars create an unusual and distinctive wraparound effect for the rear window. It's certainly striking and final judgement will have to come when we see it in the flesh but it's a talking point for sure.
At first look, the blue-hued interior looks very special indeed. Dashboard dials come 'virtually' from a large 12.3-inch high-definition screen, with a Dual-View 8-inch centralised Touch-screen that can project DVD movies or TV to the passenger while the driver views vehicle functions or consults satellite navigation.
So what about the technology? Well, Jaguar is promising the next generation of its aluminium body construction following on from the pioneering technology used on the outgoing XJ. That saved 200kg over the previous XJ and meant the Jag was around 100kg lighter than rivals - crucial for reducing emissions and improving fuel economy.
That said the XJ is still built with performance very high on the agenda, power coming from Jaguar's fabulous new gen III V8 petrol and V6 diesel engines. The flagship will use the 510hp supercharged V8 from the XFR and the XJ will, as tradition dictates, be offered in both standard and long-wheelbase versions.
Pricing has also been announced, ranging from £52,500 for an entry level 3-litre short wheelbase V6 diesel across to a beefy £88,000 for a range-topping 510hp supercharged petrol 5-litre V8 Supersport long wheelbase model. First deliveries to customers will be in early 2010.
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It's a stunning looking car hopefully it will turn around the fortunes of Jaguar.
Official site with Full Specifications - Here
