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Jaguar XJ (X351)
Front three-quarters view of a black saloon car
Overview
Manufacturer
ProductionMarch 2010 – July 2019
Assembly
DesignerIan Callum
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size luxury car
Body style4-door saloon
LayoutFront-engine, rear-wheel drive
Front-engine, all-wheel-drive
PlatformJLR D2a
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission6-speed automatic
8-speed automatic (2013 onwards)
Dimensions
Wheelbase
  • XJ: 3,032 mm (119.4 in)[1]
  • XJ-L: 3,157 mm (124.3 in)[1]
Length
  • XJ: 5,130 mm (202 in)[2]
  • XJ-L: 5,255 mm (206.9 in)[3]
Width1,899 mm (74.8 in)[4]
Height1,461 mm (57.5 in)[5]
Kerb weight1,796–1,915 kg (3,960–4,222 lb)[6][7]
Chronology
PredecessorJaguar XJ (X358)

The Jaguar XJ (X350) is a full-size luxury car with the body style of a saloon, whose nine years of production—between 2010 and 2019—constituted the fourth and final generation of the Jaguar XJ.

The design and development of a replacement for the X358 began in 2005 under the direction of Ian Callum, with Matthew Beaven overseeing the XJ design group, which included designers such as Giles Taylor and Adam Hatton. The design process spanned about three years, concluding in 2008. The XJ's launch event was unveiled by Jay Leno at the Saatchi Gallery in London in July 2009, broadcast simultaneously via Jaguar's official website. Official manufacture of the car began at the assembly facility in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, in March 2010. In 2014, assembly of the X351 from complete knockdown kits started at the facility in Pune, India.

Built on the JLR D2a platform, the X351 features a longitudinally-mounted combustion engine and an aluminium alloy structure. The X351 was the first XJ to offer an all-wheel drive (AWD) system, introduced to meet the growing demand for AWD vehicles in the United States. Abandoning the quad headlamp design, the model adopted a streamlined exterior to align with contemporary automotive design trends. The final X351 was produced in July 2019, after over 122,000 units had been made. On the day of its discontinuation, plans were announced for a battery-electric version to launch by 2022, but the project was cancelled in 2021.

Development

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Design work and engineering

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Front three-quarters view of a black sedan with quad circular headlamps
The fourth-generation XJ was to use many underpinnings of its predecessor, the X350 (pictured).

Design work on the fourth-generation XJ—codenamed X351—began in 2005 under the leadership of Ian Callum. The XJ design group, headed by Matthew Beaven, comprised Giles Taylor, Adam Hatton, Mark Phillips, Nicholas Finney, and Kim Challinor. They were assigned to create a new design while using many of the underpinnings of the outgoing X350. Although the X350 mechanicals would be used, the new Jaguar flagship had to present a style that would complement the XF and XK, which had already proven successful in their market segment.[8]

The team had created multiple design concepts, including a sports sedan known as the "Goodwood" and a traditional large luxury saloon. He mentioned that all designs were developed using computer-aided design (CAD). The team conducted daily meetings to review the drawings and examine their respective CAD models. By March 2006, the core design had been finalised. Once the foundational design was established, the team continued to develop the car, maintaining continuous work for the subsequent six months. By November, the design team finalised the selected design for further development. Throughout 2007 and into the first half of 2008, the team focused on designing the vehicle for final approval. This design underwent several stages of CAD, and both full-size and scale model clays were created for review and presentation to the Jaguar board.[8]

Jaguar's on-set manufacturing and engineering departments were involved in converting the concepts to a production vehicle. At the time, Jaguar was a global leader in applying aerospace technology to the automotive industry.[8] The previous XJ and lightweight XK used a bonded and riveted structure.[9] The X351 continued to employ these technologies, but with significant upgrades, including the use of larger panels to accommodate the car's increased size. Drawing on expertise gained from the aluminium construction techniques of earlier XJ and XF models, engineers at the Castle Bromwich assembly plant developed methods to reduce the number of components in the body structure. For instance, the previous XJ's doors were composed of three separate aluminium components, whereas the X351 featured a single-piece door design.[8]

Testing

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Prototypes of the X351 underwent extensive testing in various global climates, including extreme hot, dry, humid, wet, freezing, and high-altitude conditions. Jaguar's engineers accumulated significant mileage to assess the vehicle's performance and reliability. Before testing on the road started, advanced computer simulations were made to evaluate the handling of the prototypes in diverse scenarios. High-speed testing was carried out at Jaguar's Nürburgring facility and on tracks in the United Kingdom and the United States. By late 2008, multiple running prototypes were subjected to testing under several real-world conditions.[8][10]

Debut and launch

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The XJ is a car that exemplifies our new spirit of independence, our renewed confidence in the future. It's a car that has been created with the passion that can only come from a very special team of people.

— Mike O'Driscoll, then-Managing Director of Jaguar Cars, at the car's launch[8]

Jaguar unveiled the X351 at the Saatchi Gallery on London's King's Road by Jay Leno on 9 July 2009, broadcast simultaneously via Jaguar's website. The event was attended by over 500 guests from various backgrounds.[8][11][12] It was also showcased at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on 23 August 2009,[13] and on 17 September 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.[14]

Official manufacture of the X351 began at the facility in Castle Bromwich, England, on 19 March 2010.[15] In 2014, assembly of the XJ from complete knockdown kits began at Jaguar Land Rover's facility in Pune, India, following a 2013 update to accommodate production for the XF.[16]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b Carpenter 2010.
  2. ^ "2019 Jaguar XJ R-Sport RWD features and specs". Car and Driver.
  3. ^ Duff 2015.
  4. ^ Whale 2013.
  5. ^ Tingwall 2018.
  6. ^ Green 2010.
  7. ^ Sloane 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Eighth generation Jaguar XJ saloon—X351". Jaguar Heritage Trust.
  9. ^ Mortimer 2001, pp. 192–198.
  10. ^ Whitworth 2008.
  11. ^ Bayley 2009.
  12. ^ Baker 2009.
  13. ^ Shankland & Fung 2009.
  14. ^ Horrell & English 2009.
  15. ^ "Jaguar XJ production on video". Autocar.
  16. ^ Atiyeh 2014.

Sources

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Websites

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  • "2019 Jaguar XJ R-Sport RWD features and specs". Car and Driver. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  • Atiyeh, Clifford (5 February 2014). "Indian-owned Jaguar to produce Indian-market XJs in India". Car and Driver. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  • Duff, Mike (8 December 2015). "2016 Jaguar XJ first drive". Car and Driver. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  • "Eighth generation Jaguar XJ saloon—X351". Jaguar Heritage Trust. 2019. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  • Green, Gavin (26 February 2010). "Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6D (2010) review". Car. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  • "Jaguar XJ production on video". Autocar. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  • Shankland, Stephen; Fung, Derek (20 August 2009). "Pebble Beach 2009 concept cars". CNET. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  • Tingwall, Eric (4 October 2018). "2019 Jaguar XJR575: Fleet-Footed Luxury Sedan Adds More Power". Car and Driver. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  • Whitworth, Ben (16 September 2008). "Jaguar XJ (2010): new spy photos". Car. Retrieved 23 November 2024.

News

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Journals and magazines

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