Road TestCar reviews - Jaguar - XJ - 3.5 V8 sedanJaguar modelsOverviewWilling 3.5-litre V8 gives Jaguar's new entry-level XJ8 saloon a new lease on life16 May 2008 JAGUAR’S current-generation, X350 XJ is a glorious failure. Hampered by yesterday’s styling, it is clear that potential buyers have not appreciated the fact that this full-sized sedan is still very much tomorrow’s car underneath, thanks to technologies like advanced aluminium construction and computer controlled air suspension. So Jaguar has tried to make it look a little more modern, reinstated its smooth and willing 3.5-litre V8 powerplant as the base petrol engine, and included more standard features. But while we don’t think the styling is wholly successful, the base XJ8 – rich in feel, rewarding to drive and oozing in personality – is an unmitigated success as far as meeting the luxury car criteria is concerned. Model release date: 1 January 2008 to 1 July 2010 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelTHE third-generation XJ luxury sedan kicked off with the return of the hallowed XJ6 moniker. But instead of a classic twin-cam inline six-cylinder unit, Jaguar fitted a modified version of a Ford 3.0-litre V6 powerplant producing 179kW and 300Nm. Allied to a ZF six-speed automatic, the XJ6’s performance was smooth enough, but the effortless oomph of the smallest of the V8 models – the 3.5-litre unit – was missing. Other than this, the XJ6 offered the same aluminium body, air suspension and classy styling as all other X350 Jaguars. Interestingly, a V6 variant lives on in the guise of the diesel-powered XJ6D. |
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