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Hosted by Jay Leno, one of the world’s best-known chat show hosts and a renowned car enthusiast, the launch of the new Jaguar flagship was attended by an invited audience that included public figures, business leaders, celebrities and media.

Jaguar Cars Managing Director, Mike O’Driscoll, commented: “These are truly exciting times for us at Jaguar. The new XJ is truly beautiful, exhilarating to drive, and with its bold, enlightened approach to design, it meets the challenges of our fast-changing world. It re-imagines the ultimate sporting luxury car.”

The all-new XJ is available to order now (dependent on market), with the first customers due to receive their cars in early 2010. Prices start at £52,500 for the standard wheelbase 3.0-litre V6 diesel Luxury.

Sleek, sporting and sophisticated, the all-new Jaguar XJ brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury – it offers a seductive mix of striking design, breathtaking performance and engineering without compromise.

Building on the success of the new XK and XF models, the introduction of the all-new XJ is a landmark for the revitalised Jaguar brand. Clearly positioned as the company’s four-door flagship, it extends the appeal of the XJ to a new generation of customers.

“The new XJ is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the quintessential Jaguar. Its visual impact stems from the elongated teardrop shape of the car’s side windows, that powerful stance and its wide track. It is the most emphatic statement yet of Jaguar’s new design direction”, said Ian Callum, Design Director, Jaguar Cars.

An innovative new panoramic glass roof is an integral part of the all-new XJ’s design concept, enabling the car to have a lower, more streamlined roofline, while dramatically enhancing the feeling of light and space inside.

Standard and long-wheelbase models are available from launch. The long-wheelbase offers an even more sumptuous and refined environment for rear-seat passengers with an additional 125mm of legroom. Whichever the wheelbase, the XJ’s 520-litre boot can swallow two large suitcases side-by-side.

The all-new XJ’s cabin is a marvel in its own right, blending elegant, contemporary design with the comfort, luxury and unmistakable sporting style of a Jaguar. Chrome and piano black detailing provide an eye-catching contrast to the beautifully-crafted leather and veneer surfaces.

To complement the all-new cabin design is a level of choice in colours, veneers and leathers not seen before in a Jaguar. Three specification levels – Luxury, Premium Luxury and Portfolio – allow the customer to tailor the car to suit their tastes. Beyond this are the Supercharged and the top-of-the-range Supersport, the latter providing the ultimate expression of performance and luxury, with a specification that includes a leather roof-lining, semi-aniline leather seats and veneers with laser inlays.

All of Jaguar’s acclaimed new ultra-efficient Gen III petrol and diesel engines will be available in the XJ. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel, 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 and 5.0-litre supercharged V8 have already proved their breadth of ability. Fuel economy and emissions are also outstanding, with the diesel-powered XJ returning combined economy figures of 40.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 184g/km.

Proven Jaguar dynamic technologies are taken to new levels in the all-new XJ. Features such as air suspension, Adaptive Dynamics (continuously variable damping), Active Differential Control and quick-ratio power steering deliver the blend of responsive, dynamic handling and refined, supple ride expected from a Jaguar.

Inside the car, advanced new technologies have allowed Jaguar’s designers to create an environment more akin to a state-of-the-art living space than a simple car cabin. Stunning, 12.3-inch high-definition Virtual Instruments complement an innovative, Dual-View technology 8-inch Touch-screen that can project DVD movies or television programmes to the passenger while the driver views vehicle functions or follows satellite navigation.

Premium surround sound options include the top-of-the-range 1200W Bowers & Wilkins system, which is comparable in audio quality to the best in-home entertainment. Advanced infotainment features also include hard drive-based audio and navigation systems, and comprehensive connectivity for portable audio and video devices via the powerful Media Hub.

The new XJ also takes a new approach to sustainable motoring. Constructed using Jaguar’s aerospace-inspired aluminium body technology, the XJ is lighter than its rivals by at least 150kg which significantly improves performance, handling and economy, while delivering increased strength, refinement and safety.

The lightweight aluminium structure – with 50 percent recycled material – underpinned by a lifecycle approach to vehicle design and manufacture, enables the new XJ to minimise its carbon footprint. This alone creates a potential saving of three tonnes of CO2 per vehicle, compared to a bodyshell made from new aluminium.

The XJ offers extremely attractive cost of ownership with impressive fuel economy and emissions performance across the range; high predicted residual values and 15,000-mile service intervals. These benefits are just some of the results of Jaguar’s obsessive attention to detail during product development. Processes such as the use of the latest ‘virtual’ technologies to implement 40,000 quality-specific assessments are one of the reasons that the Jaguar brand has received numerous recognitions for vehicle quality.

Keith Adams’ blog: The new XJ: Why I’m disappointed

Watch a re-run of the Launch Event

To register interest in the all-new XJ, customers should visit: www.jaguar.com/allnewxj.

Jaguar, Jaguar Land Rover

Keith Adams

These images of the new Jaguar XJ can confirm that it’s going to be a great looking car which successfully advances the XF styling scheme and allows the Coventry carmaker to go head to head against the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The wraps will be taken off the XJ live online at 8.15pm BST on Thursday 9th July, 2009 and you’ll be able to see for yourself what all the fuss is about… Shortly after the reveal, we’ll upload pictures and details of what promises to be one of the most significant UK-built new cars of 2009.

TV presenter (and Octane columnist) Jay Leno will be introducing the new car at a star-studded party in London’s Saatchi Gallery. However, just to whet your appetite, we’ve now added three, apparently official, photographs of the new XJ which were leaked onto the Internet earlier today.

Jaguar, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors MY10 Jaguar XJ

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 9th July, 2009

Many MG Rover workers hit by the closure of Longbridge had no idea how to write a CV or behave at a job interview, a new report reveals. The report, drawn up by academics from institutions including the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Business School, reveals the human toll of the closure of the car firm in April 2005.

More than 200 former MG Rover workers were interviewed for research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, with the report’s compilers including David Bailey of Coventry University Business School and Caroline Chapain of Birmingham Business School.

The report says: “It needs to be borne in mind just how calamitous the sudden redundancies of 6,000 people could have been for the region. A majority of workers reported facing difficulty in finding employment, especially due to the number of people applying for the same job, age and lack of skills. Indeed, most workers had to convert to service sector work and were using different skills in 2008.

“The need for workers to change their type of job and/or occupation to find employment resulted in significant pay cuts, with average pay falling by £5,640 per year in real terms. Two-thirds of workers suffered wage falls while a third reported an increase in their salaries.

The need for workers to change their type of job and/or occupation to find employment resulted in significant pay cuts, with average pay falling by £5,640 per year in real terms. Two-thirds of workers suffered wage falls while a third reported an increase in their salaries.”  Economic and Social Research Council Report

“The jobs at Rover were high-quality manufacturing jobs paying above the average for the West Midlands region so it was always likely that workers would not be able to find directly comparable work. Overall, the 31 per cent of workers who stayed within the manufacturing sector earned similar amounts of money but the 60 per cent who moved into the service sector were mostly earning less.People who found work in four sectors – wholesale and retail, real estate and business services, education and health and social work – took average cuts of more than £6,000 in annual income.”

The report reveals that nearly a quarter of workers surveyed were in debt or dipping into savings while 36 per cent said they were “just about able” to manage on their incomes. “Judged against national levels, it does appear that the ex-Rover workers moved into jobs with lower levels of autonomy, challenge and skill use, and fewer opportunities for progression than other workers in the UK.

“It is important to note that many workers had worked at Rover for a very long time, some even all their life, and the closure came as a real shock. Our interviews indicate that while some were ready to move on almost immediately, others needed more time to adjust. Many had never been unemployed. They did not know how to write a CV or how to behave during a job interview.

“A majority found the experience of going to the Job Centre very difficult. Many reported high levels of stress and anxiety during the first year after the closure. Support from family, friends and ex-colleagues was critical – in fact, 70 per cent of workers reported finding their current job through personal networks or initiative.”

The report calls for “a more tailored approach to workers’ needs and resources.” “While there was a speedy response to the crisis, there is a need to be more sensitive to people who have never been unemployed and do not know how to make benefits claims, and a need to help people feel that it is not their fault that they have become unemployed. There is also a need to offer counselling to help people cope with redundancy, especially those experiencing depression and ill-health as a result.”

The research showed that workers made redundant tended “to experience more precarious employment pathways afterwards. While our overall findings show that most workers were back into work in 2008, 11 per cent were still not in employment at that time. In addition, MG Rover’s demise meant a shift away from secure jobs in traditional sectors to more insecure lower-paid jobs. For example, a third of those employed in 2008 reported having had at least another job since the closure.”

While our overall findings show that most workers were back into work in 2008, 11 per cent were still not in employment at that time. In addition, MG Rover’s demise meant a shift away from secure jobs in traditional sectors to more insecure lower-paid jobs. For example, a third of those employed in 2008 reported having had at least another job since the closure.”  Economic and Social Research Council Report

The report concludes that rapid action by local agencies over the MG Rover crisis could be viewed as a “success story” with large-scale, long-term unemployment in south Birmingham and the wider West Midlands avoided. “However, longer term, workers face a precarious situation and the need for policies to create and sustain “good quality” jobs remains paramount.

“It is crucial to consider the ripple effects of redundancies and closures on the communities where these workers live, and to implement locally and regionally co-ordinated support, taking into account the capacity of these communities to respond to economic shocks.”

In the wake of the collapse of LDV, the latest blow to West Midland manufacturing, a new Work Force has been set up to help displaced employees, the report points out. “It is vital that a ‘permanent capacity’ is created in order for policymakers to address large-scale redundancies as the recession unfolds,” the authors say.

The report’s authors add: “Making sure that individuals’ capacities and resources to deal with redundancy are taken into account and addressed will also be crucial in helping ex-LDV and other workers in finding new jobs. In addition, Government and agencies should ensure that employees have the necessary skills to cope as industries change. This is especially important during the downturn, where finding any job, let alone ‘quality jobs’. will be more difficult.”

[Source: Birmingham Post]

MG Rover