NEW VEHICLE ROAD TEST REPORT
Test Vehicle
Jaguar XJ6
Supplied By:
Jaguar Australia
Report By:
Greg Hill
SUMMARY
The return of the XJ6 is a welcome addition to the Jaguar’s XJ range and compliments the
more expensive V8 models.
In distinguished com
pany of the upper luxury car class the XJ6 is right at home.
It is pack
ed
with
all the
luxury feature
s
and hi
-
tech equipment you expect at this level
,
and Jaguar has
manage
d
to keep everything user friendly.
While the performance is not class leading, th
e 3.0 litre
power
ed
XJ6 flows along
comfortabl
y
,
responds appropriately on demand
and displays good road manners
.
The classic character of the XJ6 is something people will immediately love or hate, and in the
end this will play a major role in any buying
decision.
STAR RATINGS
Pricing & Equipment
* * *
½
Presentation & Features
* * * *
Comfort & Space
* * * *
Noise
* * * *
Performance
* * *
Economy
* * *
Handling & Braking
* * * *
Parts Pricing
* *
OVERALL
* * * ½
EXCELLENT
GOOD
ACCEPTABLE
FAIR
POOR
* * * * *
* * * *
* **
**
*
RACV Vehicle Engineering
Page
2
JAGUAR XJ6
Cars are often described as having ageless s
tyling, but when it comes to standing the test of
time very few actually live up to the claim. The sleek,
elegant
line
s
of Jaguar’s XJ6
make it
one
car
that
has
challenge
d
the odds.
The XJ6 dates back to 1968, and is now in its seventh generation. Natur
ally there have been
subtle styling changes along the way
,
but the close family resemblance is unmistakable.
The
classic
shape
of the new
XJ6 still has quite a
distinguished appearance.
While we love the
look, the allure of this
older style
luxury Britis
h saloon is not going to be everyone’s cup of
tea
in our modern, fast paced society
.
The $149,
900 price tag will also discourage some admirers, but for those buyers considering
the
top spec versions of the
Audi
A
6
,
BMW
5
series
and
E
class
Mercedes, or ev
en some
one
who might be looking at luxury limousines like the A8, 7 series or S class
,
the Jaguar
is
certainly a worthy co
mpetitor
.
In the new XJ6, Jaguar has managed to cleverly blend traditional style and character with a
high level of modern technol
ogy to produce a sophisticat
ed
luxury saloon.
Light weight construction features an
aluminium monocoque body with aerospace technology
used in the bonding and riveting of panels.
The result is a bigger car that is around 40 percent
lighter and has
far
greater
rigidity
than its predecessor.
To put it all in perspective
, the XJ6 is
bigger tha
n a Commodore and carries more gear, but has a
slightly
lighter kerb mass.
Under the bonnet, Jaguar has broken with
its
tradition
of an in
-
line six
-
cylinder engine
and
fitted a technically sophisticated 3.0 litre V6.
The 3.0 litre capacity is not a big engine for this
size and type of car
but
it
produces an impressive 179 KW of power at a relatively high 6,800
rpm. Combined
with the light weight
body
and
an effici
ent 6
-
speed ZF automatic
transmission
,
the XJ’s
acceleration times are only marginal
ly
slow
er
than those recorded by
some V8 powered competitors. In everyday driving
the XJ6
flows along very smoothly
and
there is ampl
e
in reserve for
safe, rapid
passing m
anoeuvres, although a touch more low speed
torque
might be handy
.
Jaguar’s “J”
selector
gate allows drivers to over
-
ride the auto and
change gears manually,
but the operation is somewhat clumsy
.
In a mixture of city and
freeway driving, the fuel consumpt
ion of our test car ranged from 10.4 to 13.9 l/100 km,
which is pretty much on par for this type of car.
Continuing a hi
-
tech theme, the XJ6 is underpinned by an active suspension
control
system
that
Jaguar
coincidentally
calls “CATS” (
Computer Active Te
chnology Suspension)
and air
suspension
.
ABS with emergency brake assist and stability control also play their
part
in the
overall package.
Add in the well
weighted
steering and the car has a precise, surefooted feel
on the road.
The ride is comfortably
controlled for the most part, but just occasionally what
appears to be a small bump will
hit
a lot hard
er
than you might expect.
Leather trim and the look of wood
-
grain is found in some fairly basic cars these days, but in
the XJ6 there is a real sense
of quality and craftsmanship about the cabin presentation, with
the use of real wood veneers and hand
-
stitched leathers.
For the driver
,
the
cockpit is loaded with electronic wizardry and features to make the
experience more enjoyable.
Seat comfort is su
perb and an excellent range of
power operated
RACV Vehicle Engineering
Page
3
adjustments allow the entire driving position to be
easily
fine
-
tune
d
to
your
personal
requirements.
Standard equipment includes
electronic park brake, adaptive cruise control
with optional forward alert,
sate
llite navigation, television,
integrated
telephone, premium
sound system, reverse park
ing
aid, rear multi
-
media pack
,
rain
-
sensing wipers
and much
more
.
The good news is you don’t need to be a fighter pilot to master it all.
Everything
,
with a couple o
f minor exceptions,
is well place
d
and intuitive,
which
mak
es
it
simple
to
operate.
Poor speedo markings
mean
60 and 100 km/h
are
difficult to read at a glance and
Euro
-
style stalk controls with the indicators on the left won’t be to everyone’s liking.
Being a big car, the accommodation is room
y enough
for five adults
,
however, t
he
cabin
layout
,
with a large transmission tunnel
restricting legroom for the centre rear passenger
,
is
better suited to
seating four in style and comfort.
Boot space
,
in term
of length and width
,
is
enormous, although limited height will
have a bearing on
the shape of items that can be
carried.
Jaguar’s new
car warranty is the now fairly
standard 3 years or 100,000 kilometre cover but it
does offer the added benefit of
free sc
hedule servicing for the warranty period, including the
normally replaced parts and fluid
.
Unfortunately, if you happen to damage the panel
work
in a
crash
the aluminium body
will require a specialist
repairer
.
RACV Vehicle Engineering
Page
4
COSTS
List price
$149,900
On road cos
ts
Model price range
$149,900 to $229,900
Warranty
3 years / 100,000 km
Service intervals
12 months or 15,000 km
FEATURES:
Automatic transmission
Std
Air conditioning
Std climate control
Power steering
Std
Central locking
Std
Electric windows
S
td
Safety airbag
6
Antilock Braking System
Std
Security system
Immobiliser, alarm and
deadlocking
.
Sound system
CD player, multimedia system
with touch screen TV and
navigation.
Leather upholstery
Std
SPECIFICATION
Engine capacity
2.967 litre
En
gine type
V6
Maximum power
175 kW @ 6,800 rpm
Maximum torque
300 Nm @ 4,100 rpm
Transmission/drive
6 speed automatic / rear
Kerb mass
1,545 kg
PERFORMANCE:
Acceleration
0
-
60 km/h
4.4 seconds
0
-
80
6.8
0
-
100
9.4
0
-
400 metres
16.8
Flexibility
5
0
-
8
0 km/h
3.8
6
0
-
1
0
0
5.2
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Overall
12.9 l/100 km
Variation
10.4 l
/100 km to 13.9 l/100
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded
Fuel tank capacity
85 litres
BRAKING:
Stopping distance from
8
0 km/h
26.7 metres
TOWING:
Manufacturers maximum
1,900 kg
(braked trailer)
RACV Vehicle Engineering
Page
5
DIMENTIONS:
Length
5,090 mm
Width
2,108 mm
Height
1,448 mm
Wheelbase
3,034 mm
Tyres
235/50 ZR18
Spare wheel
Full size
Turning circle
11.7 metre
ITEM
Alternator belt
$135.19
Air filter
$46.53
Fuel filter
$50.05
Front brake pads
$498.96
Front brake rotors (pair)
$819.72
Radiator hoses (pair)
$398.31
Radiator
$648.34
Rear exhaust muffler
$
614.46
Head light assembly
$949.85
Tail light asse
mbly
$484.66
Windscreen
$613.03
Original wheel rim
$1094.50
TOTAL
$6353.60
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