Cars don't come classier than the Jaguar XJ. Back in the 1960s, Jaguar's sports cars were modern and sleek, but its sedans were bulbous and ancient-looking. Jaguar's challenge was to develop a modern sedan that didn't betray Jaguar's traditional customers. The Jaguar XJ was the response to that challenge.
Introduced as a 1969 model, the Jaguar XJ (branded initially as the XJ6) was wider, lower, longer and simply better-looking than any previous Jaguar sedan. While there was some family relationship to previous Jags in the grille and four separate headlights, the XJ was unmistakably a break from tradition. And inside there was more room, along with more burled walnut and supple leather than ever before. But looking better and being bigger wasn't enough. The new Jaguar XJ had to work better, too.
One thing the new Jaguar XJ had going for it was the same 4.2-liter, DOHC straight-6 engine used in the Jaguar sports cars. Rated at a robust and silken 246 gross-rated horsepower, it was among the most powerful luxury car engines then available. And the new XJ's chassis, with its all-independent suspension similar in design to the Jag sports cars, rode with suppleness, yet was surprisingly agile. Not only was the Jaguar XJ a leap forward from previous Jags, it was ahead of the competition as well.
During the 1973 model year, the Jaguar XJ gained a new model alongside the XJ6. Equipped with Jaguar's new 241-net-rated-hp 5.3-liter V12, the XJ12 model was almost imperial in its bearing and, at the time, the world's sole 12-cylinder sedan. But to the uninitiated, except for the badges, the XJ12 was indistinguishable from other Jaguar XJ sedans.
So successful was that first Jaguar XJ that its maker was loath to update the styling significantly. Through the introduction of long-wheelbase, coupe and V8 models, the Jaguar XJ model's appearance was only lightly modified. Even when an all-new, aluminum-structure XJ sedan was introduced during 2003, it still looked very much like the original Jaguar XJ.
A truly new and different, all-aluminum Jaguar XJ was introduced during 2009 as a 2010 model.
