The new-generation Jaguar XJ was first shown in July 2009, where it was unveiled at the Saatchi Gallery in London, with Jay Leno and Elle Macpherson unveiling the new car. It continued Ian Callum’s design revolution for Jaguar, and represented the end of the retro-styled generation, which in some export markets at least, was seen as being a reason to hold back Jaguar’s sale.
As the full-sized flagship of the Jaguar range, it’s a longer, wider car that looks much more imposing than its X350 predecessor. The front has clear links with the XF, although with slimmer, sleeker lights and a larger, squarer grille and more aggressive appearance. The upright, swooping taillights, nicknamed ‘cat’s claws’, and black roof panels each side of the rear screen, which aim to hide the XJ’s width, are the most striking aspects. There is also a standard full-length sunroof, that extends all the way back with just a single body-coloured roof panel that the designer likens to bridges on yachts – it’s mooted for replacement in 2017.
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