Jaguar XJ 2011

WOW!  This car is intense!  The Jaguar XJ has always trended toward stuffy old men that smell like cigar smoke, but the world is a chang'in.  Jaguar hit the mark with the XF and continues to march forward with their new modern design look.  The XJ is strong and smooth, giving a very upscale look that won't  leave Grandpa behind.   

With this design, Jaguar was able to fuse modern looks with an underlying classic feel.  This is not easy to do.  The new head light configuration is modern but understated.  Jaguar's new grill is perfect, it gives all their vehicles a nice focal point and really brings a strong visual to the front end. The lower half of the front end works well with the rest of the design.  I also like that there is no leaping Jaguar hood ornament, time to throw out the cigars Grandpa! 

The rear of the XJ plays really nice into the overall design of the vehicle.  The tail lights come swooping from the top of the deck lid, down the rear, and end nicely on either side of the trunk lid.  They match the front when it comes to modern and understated.  Both the front and the rear are clean, easy to understand and give off a very high end look.  The branding on the rear of the vehicle is also very high end, just the Jaguar logo and XJ, perfect. 

From the side the XJ is very smooth.  The Character line of the XJ is very high and is almost invisible.  The Character line does head south around the head light area but fits the overall look.  The rear roof line is long but still leaves enough room for a trunk lid.

 Here is our only beef, what is with the black crap on the rear pillar!?  I can't figure it out.  Here you have this great flowing design and you break it up in one of the most visible areas!  What gives?  If anyone at Jaguar would like to comment on it we would love to hear what the thought process was.  Not even the castle in the back round of this picture can distract you from whatever that is.  This should have been an easy ten for Jaguar, however, we just can't get over the black plastic.

2011 Jaguar XJ
Grade: 9