Jaguar XJR: review

The big news from Jaguar’s facelifting exercise on its top super-saloon is the addition of electronic power steering.

This is adopted to allow the addition of new driver-assist features, but more importantly Jaguar says it delivers better feel and response than the old model’s hydraulic PAS.

It’s also more efficient, requiring less mechanical effort to operate – a consequence of which is a marginal improvement in fuel consumption.

This is now 25.5mpg, so we’re in territory where every little helps.

What all that petrol gets you is the searing turn of pace you’d expect from an XJR. The supercharged V8 and eight-speed auto box are as smooth and commanding as ever, as figures of 4.4 seconds and 174mph will testify.

Also impressively smooth is that new steering. It’s beautifully weighted, with all the feel in the world at whatever speed, allowing you to enjoy every last scrap of the car’s potential without fear. The XJR already had the braking and handling to go with its performance, and now it’s more involving to drive than ever.

It’s more premium to sit in, too (so long as you’re not expecting it to be spacious in the back). The facelift has also yielded a gentle polish-up in terms of looks, and Jag’s latest consumer electronics take the in-car entertainment to new levels.

That’s an area in which the XK’s rivals had stolen a march, so it claws back some valuable territory with a higher-quality display and greater usability than of old.

Whether that’s enough to tempt you away from what Merc, Audi and the new BMW 7 Series have to offer is another matter.

But for what it’s worth at this level, Jag has price on its side – and, more to the point, what your money buys is a luxury super-saloon that’s more sumptuous than ever to drive.

Jaguar XJR