HENRI du PLESSIS
Motoring Writer
Jaguar’s new XJ is a great addition to the top-level executive car line-up.
That view is mainly based on the car’s very different design, inside and out, so I have to admit that it is subjective.
But in a world of similarities, is it not the unusual that often gives the most pleasure?
Jaguar presented me with a test drive of the three-litre diesel version of the XJ last week and I could not help but think back to the first time I had the opportunity to drive a diesel luxury car.
It was in 1985 and the occasion was the first blasting for the construction of the Huguenot Tunnel in Du Toitskloof.
At the time, I was an intrepid learner reporter at a country newspaper and I was travelling to the official reception and blasting event with the MP for Worcester at the time, Hans Rabie, and my then editor.
We were going in Oom Hans’s grand diesel Mercedes-Benz and I was told to drive because the two bigwigs wanted to chat.
Now those Mercs were just about bullet proof. In fact, some of them still are, but those were the Mercs that really put the brand in the forefront of the quality stakes.
But diesel technology of the time was rather basic compared to now.
Oom Hans’s car was automatic, so it was an easy drive – until we hit the climbs on the old Du Toitskloof Pass. With my foot flat on the pedal, the car could not build up enough of a head of steam to get out of second gear most of the time and even first gear some of the time. Eventually, we got stuck behind a truck and I could not overtake. Here and there, the truck would even pull away from us.
And about three times, Oom Hans (he was a tall chap) looked down at me from behind bushy eyebrows and asked: “Du Plessis, aren’t you going a bit fast?”
MPs had lots more time in those days.
Back to today. We all know that Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi have some wonderful diesels in their top-end cars – engines that perform almost as well as their petrol counterparts and are much more economical in the fuel department.
So, one would not expect any less from Jaguar. And it does not disappoint. The XJ boasts that same sweet diesel V6 three-litre with four valves, a cylinder that we know and love in the Land Rover Discovery TDV6. Of course, though, having been fitted in a big sports saloon like the Jag, the company has fiddled with the engine management system to suit the more sporty character of the big cat.
The engine boasts 202kW at 4 000 rpm and 600Nm of torque at rather low revs and, mated to a slightly notchy gearbox, makes for very pleasant driving.
But the Jag is a lot different from the others in this class. For one thing, it appears the car was designed to be driven by its owner, as the back seats and rear legroom are much more restricted than in the opposition.
This has a lot to do with the coupe-like rear of the roofline, which makes the big car look low-slung and really mean.
I liked the interior, which had a kind of hand-made leather look to it. It is real leather of course, but it looks as if the leather has been fashioned around the clocks and the dashboard by hand.
The roof lining especially caught my eye. In neutral grey suede, it looked great and gave an impression of quality.
The seats are comfortable, but I expected a bit more lateral support in a car with as much of a sporty character as this one.
An unexpected drawback was the otherwise beautiful chromed lid of a convenience storage bin on the centre console. It would shine brightly in the sun and bother the front passenger to the point where it had to be covered.
The relative lack of legroom in the rear (for tall people) was made up for by the creature comforts. The car is essentially a four-seater, with an armrest in the middle of the rear seat that can fold away to seat a fifth person in the middle when necessary.
The Jaguar XJ 3.0D Portfolio weighs in at R1.11 million. The Premium Luxury costs R975 000.
This means the car is priced very much in the same bracket as the opposition.