Whether or Not It Sells, The Next Jaguar XJ At Least Looks the Part

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

When rumors began to spread that Jaguar was on the cusp of axing its long-running XJ (seen above) in favor of an electric car with a more versatile body, the purist in everyone no doubt squirmed at the thought. The XJ is meant to be a flagship sedan, and part of that role involves looking like one.

Jaguar did end up discontinuing the model. Now, as the XJ’s replacement draws near, we can at least inform you that it won’t look like a made-over Citroën C6 that hums.

Spy photos of a prototype XJ attacking some snow in Northern Europe are making the rounds, revealing a bonafide car, and one that appears quite large. Maybe they should call it the Mark X. Check out these pics at Motor1 for proof.

Riding atop the new MLA platform destined for several Jaguar Land Rover models, the next-gen XJ carries classic rear-drive proportions: long hood, flowing roofline, and a short deck. It seems that deck is part of a liftgate, given the seams in the car’s camouflage wrapping. If so, at least it still looks like a sedan.

JLR’s new architecture is said to underpin an upcoming J-Pace large crossover as well as the next-gen Range Rover. Able to accommodate fully electric propulsion as well as plug-in hybrid or mild hybrid powertrains, the exact range of Jaguar’s future XJ offerings is not known. It may simply be an EV, though that would see the model suffer in less environmentally stringent overseas markets (not that the XJ’s volume hadn’t already fallen to “hey look, I found one!” levels).

Speaking recently to Autocar, Jaguar design head Julian Thomson said the company is aiming for a “fabulous-looking thing” for people to “lust after.”

“We want to present something that challenges the norm, offer an alternative that makes it better and more engaging on all levels to own and to drive. That’s what we’re all about: the love of the car,” he said.

Interior volume should see a healthy increase, what with the car’s wider track and longer wheelbase. Power will also be substantial, though exactly what output to expect — and from how many motors — remains unclear. Unlike some German manufacturers, Jaguar managed to avoid range gripes with its I-Pace electric crossover, so those figures should be reasonable at the very least.

The next-gen Jaguar XJ launches later this year.

[Image: Jaguar Land Rover]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Phreshone Phreshone on Mar 12, 2020

    But the people who have these in Metro NYC would tend to put lots of miles, if not be driven lots of miles on a weekly basis... LA and NYC as your prime market shouts HYBRID...

  • FAHRVERGNUGEN FAHRVERGNUGEN on Mar 12, 2020

    Nice looking car, but I thought Buick got out of building sedans.

    • Art Vandelay Art Vandelay on Mar 12, 2020

      This car...with an evolved 3800SC...mmmmmmm...and the church said Amen.

  • ArialATOMV8 All I hope is that the 4Runner stays rugged and reliable.
  • Arthur Dailey Good. Whatever upsets the Chinese government is fine with me. And yes they are probably monitoring this thread/site.
  • Jalop1991 WTO--the BBB of the international trade world.
  • Dukeisduke If this is really a supplier issue (Dana-Spicer? American Axle?), Kia should step up and say they're going to repair the vehicles (the electronic parking brake change is a temporary fix) and lean on or sue the supplier to force them to reimburse Kia Motors for the cost of the recall.Neglecting the shaft repairs are just going to make for some expensive repairs for the owners down the road.
  • MaintenanceCosts But we were all told that Joe Biden does whatever China commands him to!
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