Skip advert
Advertisement

Jaguar XJ D review

More frugal Jaguar XJ sports saloon gets 442lb ft of torque and Supersport looks

Evo rating
Price
from £67,400
  • A great Jag
  • Just not as great as the Supersport

On paper, there seems little reason to envy buyers of the rather wonderful XJ Supersport with its 503bhp supercharged V8. After all, this twin-turbo V6 diesel, which is expected to account for 85 per cent of XJ sales in the UK, is virtually indistinguishable from the outside, and the new 3-litre engine delivers a thumping 442lb ft of torque, almost as much as the V8. Sure, it has ‘only’ 271bhp, but while power grabs the headlines, torque gets the work done, so the diesel should deliver all the kick you need most of the time, with substantially better fuel consumption. And yet…

Advertisement - Article continues below

Don’t get us wrong, the diesel XJ is a very good car. This long-wheelbase ‘Portfolio’ is about as posh as they get and looks just like the Supersport, right down to the 20-inch, lightly polished alloys. Like its supercharged sibling, its ride is on the taut side of comfortable and the car feels light on its toes, both in the corners and when you pin the throttle. It doesn’t sound particularly dieselly either, more like a muted, gruff petrol six, and the big XJ shifts nicely as it works its way through the gears.

Trouble is, there isn’t quite the roll and pitch control of the Supersport, nor the exhilarating reach of its V8. The steering feels lighter and the brakes a bit grabbier, too. The SS demonstrates the XJ’s full potential. So if it’s the diesel you need, we advise you not to test drive the Supersport.

Specifications

EngineV6, 2993cc, bi-turbo diesel
Max power271bhp @ 4000rpm
Max torque442lb ft @ 2000rpm
0-606.0sec (claimed)
Top speed155mph (limited)
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The £2m McLaren W1 is a 1257bhp successor to the P1
McLaren W1
News

The £2m McLaren W1 is a 1257bhp successor to the P1

First F1, then P1… and now W1. The next chapter in McLaren’s Ultimate Series has arrived to challenge Ferrari’s forthcoming new hypercar
6 Oct 2024
Peugeot 206 GTi 180 – the car world's greatest misses
Peugeot 206 GTi 180
Features

Peugeot 206 GTi 180 – the car world's greatest misses

Late to the party and betraying its heritage, the GTi 180 marked the end of Peugeot’s hot hatch highs
3 Oct 2024
Audi TT RS Fast Fleet test – 13,000 miles in Ingolstadt's extinct sports car
Audi TT RS fast fleet front
Long term tests

Audi TT RS Fast Fleet test – 13,000 miles in Ingolstadt's extinct sports car

After more than a year and 13,000 miles, our TT RS has departed. Will we miss it and the TT as a whole?
5 Oct 2024