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26/12/2005
By EWAN KENNEDY
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 In March 2004 Jaguar offered a six-cylinder engine in its largest sedan for the first time in seven years. The welcome return of the Jaguar six also resulted in the revival of the revered XJ6 tag for the car, a designation that had been used by the marque for decades and was very much part of the upmarket motoring scene worldwide. Somehow ‘XJ8’ just didn’t have the same ring to it as XJ6, in the ears of the purists.
Jaguar’s switch to V8 engines with the previous model in the XJ series was necessary because they were big heavy cars. Now the latest XJ series is built almost exclusively of aluminium. This has cut the mass by about 200 kilograms, so the XJ can now be comfortably powered by a 3.0-litre V6 without losing too much in the way of pace.
Note that the new engine is a V6, not a straight-six as had been used by Jaguars for generations. The more compact V6 arrangement is the one chosen by the great majority of car makers as it not only concentrates the mass of the motor in a smaller area, but also makes it easier to provide a frontal crumple zone for crash protection.
A high-tech unit, the 3.0-litre Jaguar engine does a good job of shifting the big saloon. It doesn’t have big grunt, for that you need large capacity, but there's enough to satisfy most buyers most of the time.
In any case, the revheads can still opt for a Jaguar with a V8 engine, though it does cost a fair bit more, and enjoy strong performance. Naturally, the V8 also benefits from the lower weight of the latest XJ body. Then there's the supercharged variant of the V8 for the guys to whom too much power is just about enough…
 Fuel economy is another winner in the smaller engined Jaguar XJ6 3.0. The big Jaguar will only use about nine to ten litres per hundred kilometres on a moderately paced country trip, and seldom go much over 14 litres per hundred around town unless you push it very hard. Keep in mind that the less fuel you use the fewer emissions are coming out of the tailpipe, so it’s not just money that you’re saving by buying one of the big aluminium saloons.
Ambience is something the British maker does extremely well. From the full-wood dashboard to the beautifully shaped leather trim on the seats and doors, this Jaguar's cabin is a wonderfully relaxing place. Keep in mind, though, that it’s a low-slung sports saloon, not a limo-like sedan. Four adults can be carried with decent head and legroom, five can be transported at a real pinch. Getting in and out can tax old bones at times, so make sure you take all potential passengers along for your test drive before falling in love with the sleek lines of the big Jag.
Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) are very well suppressed and there's a relaxing atmosphere inside the big Jag as it whisks you across miles of open road, or cossets you during the seemingly endless waits that are a fact of life to so many car commuters these days.
 Dynamics are also improved. Because the V6 puts less weight over the front wheels than the V8, handling balance is improved due to a close to perfect weight distribution. In the traditional way of Jaguars, the power-steering is very light and doesn’t communicate road feel as well as it could. This is mainly to suit the American market, which is by far the biggest for Jaguar, but it may not be to all Australians' tastes.
So, before lobbing straight into the traditional upmarket car showrooms – those belonging to the big-two German marques – do yourself a favour and have a look at this alternative from Britain. You may well fall in love with the way it looks and feels on the road.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
XJ6 3.0-litre four-door sedan - $149,900
XJ8 3.5-litre four-door sedan - $169,900
XJ8 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $189,900
XJ8 LWB 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $194,900
XJR Supercharged V8 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $219,900
XJ8 Supercharged V8 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $229,900
XJ8 LWB Supercharged V8 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $234,900
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard on all models
Air Conditioning: Standard on all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard on all models
CD Player: Standard on all models
Central Locking: Standard on all models
Cruise Control: Standard on all models
Driver Airbag: Standard on all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard on all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard on all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Jaguar XJ6 3.0-litre four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.967 litres
Configuration: V6
Head Design: Four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 89.0 x 79.5mm
Maximum Power: 179kW @ 6800rpm
Maximum Torque: 300Nm @ 4100rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.31:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 5090mm
Wheelbase: 3034mm
Width: 2108mm
Height: 1448mm
Turning Circle: 11.7 metres
Kerb Mass: 1545kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 85 litres
Towing Ability: Not available
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Air suspension system with air spring/damper units
Rear Suspension: Air suspension system with air spring/damper units
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 8.1 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 15.8 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
City Cycle: 15.3 L/100km
Highway Cycle: 7.7 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km |
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