There is very little wrong with the way the current Jaguar XJ drives, but it can be fairly criticized for having less passenger space than its peers and appearing to have been stamped from a single mold the automaker has used for the past decade or three. Indeed, if you talk to Jaguar dealers, they’ll tell you that people who drove the car loved it; the problem was getting people to look at it in the first place.

The new 2010 XJ, which goes on sale early next year in the U.S., is styled to be as bold as the current car is staid. This is a dramatic, coupe-like four-door sedan, with a notably bluff-like grille, a short front overhang, and a long tail. The only jarring note, to our eyes, is a black plastic section on the C-pillars that looks like an afterthought, especially on light-colored vehicles. We also think the long-wheelbase version, which features an additional five inches in the rear doors, is the better-looking model. Overall, the new car is 1.1 inches longer than the current XJ, coming in at 201.5 inches long in short-wheelbase configuration.

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Jaguar has had a busy Detroit, unveiling not just the new XFR super-saloon and its one-off, tricked-up 225mph salt-flats saloon special, but also the revised XK range.

Echoing the changes to the XF range (and in the coming months, most of the Jaguar Land Rover range), the 4.2-litre petrol V8 has been upgraded to the new 5.0 V8. Jag calls it the third-gen AJV8, reflecting its growth through the years from its 4.0-litre origins. The latest engine benefits from direct injection for more precise control over the combustion process.

The end result? Naturally aspirated XKs run a 380bhp output, while the XKR swells to a decidedly Germanic 503bhp thanks to a revised supercharger induction system. The new 2010 model year cars are pretty rapid, needless to say; the XK hits sixty in 5.2sec, the R model in just 4.6sec.

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Goodbye to All That: Jaguar finally lets go of its past and heads off on an uncharted path with an excellent new sedan.

By now you’ve heard more than enough about Jaguar parting with its stylistic past and adopting a new design idiom, personified by this handsome sedan, a car whose production appearance has changed little in its transition from the dramatic C-XF concept that was unveiled at the 2007 Detroit show. It’s a car whose good looks are as contemporary as anything in its class.

In terms of sheetmetal, we think it’s fair to call it a success despite criticisms suggesting it’s a me-too interpretation of the Mercedes CLS “four-door coupe” look. But when we say “in its class,” we’re talking about some formidable competition, particularly in the middle range of luxury sports sedans—cars with German accents and distinguished performance pedigrees.
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