By Chris Haak

07.10.2009

Jaguar’s flagship sedan, the aluminum-bodied XJ, has been on the market in its current form since 2003, and the 2003 XJ looked disturbingly and un-creatively similar to the previous generation model.  Unfortunately for Jaguar, that “traditional” appearance has been attracting fewer and fewer buyers to the brand over the past several years.  That the former S-Type looked like it jumped out of a time machine from the 1960s certainly didn’t help matters.  As Jaguar found out, fewer and fewer buyers were interested in car cabins that had the aura of an English country club.

The Jaguar XK coupe and convertible moved the styling needle for Jaguar forward into the new century, and last summer’s launch of the successful XF sedan – which replaced the mostly unloved S-type in the lineup, and also happened to throw away 90% of the Jaguar styling rulebook in the process – cemented the direction that Jaguar would be taking with its flagship sedan. Continue Reading →