2004 Jaguar XJ

Predictably, the standard equipment list is long and includes the self-leveling air suspension, driver and passenger front and side airbags, ABS, EBD, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, an electronic parking brake (with drive away release) and rear park distance control (it's optional on the front). Jaguar claims this car is one of the first to meet U.S. DOT's 2008 safety standards. Audiophiles will approve of the standard AM/FM/CD, but Vanden Plas and XJR buyers will enjoy even more sound sensations with an Alpine 320-watt, 6-disc CD, 12-speaker system. An optional, multi-media, dual-screen entertainment system for the rear seat passengers will prove popular with NBA and NFL players who love to equip their cars with this sort of hedonistic backseat equipment.


If you're worried about the repairability of the aluminum structure, Jaguar is very reassuring about its new Bolt-on Front-end Module (BOFE) claiming that the car can withstand a 10-mph impact without damage. And in the event of damage, the assembly can be readily removed and repaired or replaced. "Lift-off" door hinges (the doors weigh just 23 pounds, 45 percent less than steel) and bolt-on front fenders all contribute to repair ease. The injection-molded bumpers will withstand a 5-mph impact without structural damage.


The option list is short for the XJR, but big check writers can specify such niceties as a Warm Charcoal upper fascia, flint carpets and gray-stained birds-eye maple trim with R contrast seats, a heated, adjustable rear seat, 4-zone temperature control, sun blinds for the rear side windows, power headlamp washers and metallic paint, besides the aforementioned Navigation system.


Safe, sleek and speedy, Jaguar's elegant new XJ is an engineering tour de force with handling and road manners to match. Pricing reportedly will be held somewhat comparable to present models. Those groans you hear are from Stuttgart and Munich. (www.jaguar.com)