Source: Jaguar

JAGUAR INTRODUCES ALL-NEW 2004 XJ RANGE


THE NEW XJ AT A GLANCE


2004 Technical Specifications


The new XJ is the most advanced production Jaguar ever.


It is the seventh generation of the car recognized as the definitive Jaguar sedan.


An aluminum monocoque body replaces traditional steel construction.


Longer, taller and wider than its predecessor - with more interior room in every dimension.


Constructed using rivet bonding and adhesives - state-of-the-art techniques learned from the aerospace industry.


The new XJ's body is 60 percent stiffer yet 40 percent lighter - the XJ8 is almost 200 lbs lighter than its predecessor.


Up to 570 lb lighter than the competition.


Engines are a new 4.2-liter V8 and a 4.2-liter V8 supercharged, the later of these producing 390 bhp (SAE).


All models feature an advanced six-speed ZF automatic transmission. There is no manual gearbox option.


The new XJ is both quicker and more economical across the board than the outgoing generation - and many of its competitors. As an example, the quickest model in the new XJ range, the XJR, dispatches the 0-60 mph sprint in just 5.0 seconds and has a top speed electronically limited to 155 mph. The XJ8 records 6.3 seconds 0-60 mph and has a top speed electronically limited to 121 mph.


The new XJ is among the safest cars in its class, with ground-breaking technologies such as Jaguar's innovative A.R.T.S. Adaptive Restraint Technology System providing advanced protection at all times. It will be one of the first vehicles to meet the new FMVSS208 US crash standard.


The new XJ is engineered for repairability. The unique Bolt-On-Front-End (BOFE) is designed to allow 10 mph frontal impact without the car suffering structural damage. The assembly has impact-absorbing properties including extruded aluminum ‘crash cans' that channel impact energy onward from the bumper beam in a controlled path.


In line with Jaguar's continuing determination to offer relevant driver-assisting technologies, features of the new XJ include Dynamic Stability Control, Adaptive Cruise Control (with Forward Alert function), Emergency Brake Assist and Jaguar Voice.


All new XJs have air suspension and a new generation of Jaguar's sophisticated Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) as standard.


Official EPA fuel economy figures for the new XJ8 and XJR are yet to be approved. The official European figures suggest a combined fuel economy improvement in the region of 10%. With this in mind, Jaguar expects to be highly competitive in the luxury segment.


Prices will be announced just prior to the new XJ going on sale in late spring.


AN OVERVIEW


"Using aluminum throughout, we have created a car that takes technology - and the application of technology - to new heights. The new XJ is without a doubt the most advanced Jaguar ever."


Mike Beasley, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars


The XJ sedan is the bedrock on which the Jaguar of today is based. Seven generations of XJ - from the very first XJ6 unveiled by Sir William Lyons in the 1968, to the all-new model that made its public debut in September 2002 - have taken the mantle of the definitive Jaguar sedan. Total production since the first XJ model in 1968 is now comfortably past 800,000 cars - more than half of all Jaguars ever built.


Representing contemporary British automotive luxury at its best, each generation of XJ has delivered the blend of attraction that Jaguar customers demand: elegance, style, comfort and spirited performance.


The all-new XJ has all this and much more besides. Not only is it the ultimate expression of Jaguar luxury sedan car engineering, it is also the most advanced Jaguar ever.


Jaguar has a well-documented history of working with aluminum, but with the new XJ the technologies used have moved to an altogether different level.


Pioneering a new lightweight vehicle architecture that is centered on a conventional monocoque body structure rather than an unnecessarily exotic space-frame, Jaguar engineers have developed a car that is larger in every respect than the model it replaces and has more features and driver-assisting technologies - and yet weighs almost 200 lbs less than the outgoing generation. Referring to a large sedan as a lightweight vehicle may seem incongruous, but the new XJ fully deserves - and earns - this label.


The benefits of reduced mass are in place all the time, from the moment the wheel start turning. In addition to measurables such as fuel economy, emissions and performance, the subjective issues of handling and ride also feature.


In the new XJ, Jaguar's engineers have created a vehicle that is very agile. It is also quicker and more economical than the outgoing generation. A comparison between XJRs shows that the new XJ is quicker to 60 mph (5.0 seconds versus 5.3 seconds) and yet returns superior fuel economy. Top speed of XJ8 is an electronically limited 121 mph with XJR reaching 155 mph.


These levels of customer gain in areas that are becoming ever more important, especially in the luxury sector, five the new Jaguar XJ significant advantages over its main competition. And that's without considering the driving experience, the traditional jaguar attractions of craftsmanship, style and luxury, and the impressive array of driver-friendly technologies that make life behind the wheel of the new XJ more relaxing and enjoyable - and safer.


The U.S. XJ range consists of a high level of standard equipment and a simplified model line-up: the normally aspirated XJ8 and supercharged XJR.