Jaguar XK Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Jaguar XK range
Prices: £59,900-£78,400– on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 19-20
Emissions: 236-296g/km
Performance: [Coupe] Max Speed 155mph / 0-60mph 5.2s
Fuel Consumption: [Coupe] (combined) 25.2mpg
Safety: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / EBD / TRACS stability and traction control
Dimensions: (coupe) Length/Width/Height 4791/2070/1322mm

SUCCESSION PLANNING

Our Rating: 6.9 / 10

The XK model established a key precedent in Jaguar’s rapid progression from retro to stridently modernist styling. It’s hard to see how the company could have got it more right as Andy Enright reports

This shouldn’t happen. Received wisdom is that you see a car debut at a motor show, wait for the production ready version to come along and then sigh wistfully as you tick off all the interesting bits that failed to get past the legislators and bean counters. Think of the Porsche Boxster, the Mercedes SLK and the Range Rover Sport; three cars that looked a million dollars on a show stand but which were badly watered down when it came to production. Jaguar’s XK reversed that trend. Walk around one and it’s impossible to deny that in the intervening months between the Aluminium Lightweight Coupe’s European debut at the Geneva Auto Salon and the Jaguar XK’s UK on sale date, the detailing was finessed still further. This is not a car that plays by conventional rules and the latest versions are even less conformist.

Perhaps rules is too strong a word. Custom is possibly better, and custom tends to dictate that each successive model on a given theme is bigger and heavier than the one that precedes it. Not this one. This XK may be a mere 1.5cm longer than the old XK8, but thanks to that advanced aluminium construction, its weight has plummeted to 1660kg for the entry-level car even with the 5.0-litre V8 engine in the nose. The XK’s svelte lines aren’t just an automotive trompe l’oeil. This car possesses an athleticism the old car can’t match.

If you were to design a template for how a grand touring coupe or convertible should drive, there are a few givens. You’d need a very stiff, modern chassis that allowed the suspension to do its work. You’d also want a modern, powerful engine, great steering and a quick-witted automatic gearbox. Check all of those for the Jaguar XK. One word of advice would be to skip the 20-inch alloy wheel option as these do have quite a noticeably detrimental effect on ride quality. Plus you won’t want to look like Rio Ferdinand on a shopping trip.

The XK coupe’s 5.0-litre V8 (up from 4.2-litres) is good for 380bhp and will wallop the car to 60mph in just 5.2s and on to a top speed of 155mph. Slipping the tactile JaguarDrive Selector into manual mode is the key to getting the best out of the XK’s performance and while the Jaguar never feels resolutely sporty, the chassis is supremely talented should you really lean on it. The six-speed gearbox is an advanced Jaguar Sequential Shift effort designed to adapt to the driving style and deliver instantaneous gear changes at the flick of a wheel-mounted paddle.

The most recent exterior changes for the XK include a slightly revised front end, restyled LED rear lights and a smarter lower rear body valance. Inside the cabin, there’s the clever JaguarDrive Selector first seen on the XF saloon. Otherwise, the XK’s design remains the same assured piece of work. That oval front grille and the way the rear cabin tapers in over the haunches is classic E-Type. Even the front badge is a nod to this illustrious sports coupe. The car looks sinewy and muscular, the sheet metal stretched over something seriously purposeful.

There’s a welcome injection of practicality to the XK. Whereas the old XK8, this car’s predecessor, was astonishing in having such a huge ‘footprint’ but such a tiny passenger compartment, the XK is a more spacious car altogether. The high hipline remains, but Jaguar have worked at making the interior feel a good deal airier, with a low scuttle and clever use of colour combinations. The wheelbase has increased by 162mm, and rear occupants will notice the difference immediately. Up front, there’s way more room around the pedal box and beneath the steering wheel. Gone is the rather mean boot of the XK8 – unforgivable in a car with Grand Touring pretensions – and in its place is a more versatile hatchback arrangement with 330 litres of space. Extensive use of aluminium means that the XK’s weight is refreshingly low.

Leaving aside the supercharged XKR models, Jaguar XK owners are faced with a fairly straightforward choice; hard top or soft top. You could go for the fixed head coupe, or alternatively, the privilege of sunburning your bonce will cost you another £6,000. The interior is rather restrained in the best Jaguar traditions. The old ‘Spitfire wing’ plank of wood that ran across the dashboard has been ditched, with a driver focused binnacle, a broad centre console and a rethink in the use of materials. The latest models feature revised door switch packs, column stalks and a choice of wood of aluminium trim inser