Next month the new XJ from Jaguar arrives on Irish roads. Michael McAleer sets the scene.
Jaguar's new feline flagship, the XJ range, is due on Irish roads at the end of next month with prices expected to start in the region of €85,000.
Certainly there's no doubting the lineage of this latest XJ, which bears a striking resemblance to both its predecessors and even the smaller X-Type.
While competitors, like BMW, have attempted to revolutionise the market in terms of technology and design, Jaguar is aiming for a more evolutionary development of the latest incarnation of the XJ-range.
One can understand the aversion to dramatic change, particularly for such a traditional audience. That's not to say that this is a simple facelift for the flagship range, which first took to our roads in 1968.
Jaguar is keen to shake off any suggestions of a "stuffy" boardroom image of cigars, gentlemen's clubs and pin-stripped suits.
Instead the marketing powers at Jaguar are keen to stress the reawakening youthful zest of 50-year-olds these days. Apparently "50 is the new 40", if you can decipher the marketing-speak.
Out goes images of strait-laced conservativism and in comes the likes of Pierce Brosnan and Marianne Faithful. No mention was made of Britain's deputy prime minister, John Prescott, a renowned Jaguar fan.
The balancing act between retaining its traditional audience while trying to join the vanguard of technological advancement in the industry, is reflected in several ways in the XJ. First and foremost is the bodyshell, carrying the typically Jaguar lines on an all-new aluminium frame.
Replacing steel with aluminium in the new XJ flagship model, Jaguar engineers believe they have managed to square the circle, offering significant increases in space and performance, yet keeping the dreaded weight increase down.
Admittedly, the move to aluminium is not unique, either for the industry or for Jaguar. Aluminium has been around before in cars and Jaguar says its own aluminium "vehicle" first appeared in 1922. More recently Audi has used it in a widespread way in models such as the A2 and the A8.
However, Jaguar claims that the aluminium bodyshell in the new XJ goes further. Jaguar engineers boast a 40 per cent reduction in weight, yet 60 per cent improvement in the stiffness, all contributing to improved handling and performance over steel-built counterparts.
In terms of weight, the XJ comes in at 220kg while the steel equivalent is 360kg. This weight loss gives it an advantage over competitors. Take the XJ 3.5 compared with the BMW 735i, both of which are V8. The British car is 245kg lighter on the scales.
On the road, the XJ features four engine variants, including a return of a six-cylinder 3-litre unit to the range.
Next up is an enthusiastic 3.5-litre V8 unit, offering for us the best overall package, while the 4.2-litre V8 and supercharged version in the performance XJR tops the engine range.
Like its feline equivalents, each engine brings to the range its own particular character and changes the overall feeling of the car.
The more performance-derived XJR, offering 400bhp from its 4.2-litre supercharged engine, is really an XKR for the family. While the inside lacks the normal attributes of a performance variant - such as discreet 'R' logos that would set it off from the rest of the fleet, once you've taken to the road, there is a noticeable wealth of power at your disposal.
Handling is effective, if not class leading, but there is never any doubting that there is enough power to get you out of trouble or past that awkward truck before the oncoming traffic makes things a little hairy.
The most impressive model we drove was the 3.5-litre - keen and willing, with an eager engine note. This engine seems to have a strong bond with the six-speed gearbox and impressed with its performance and balance.
The 4.2-litre was again very different, even from its supercharged sibling, and never really stretched itself, despite our best endeavours.
The entrant 3.0-litre may lack the torque or take-off of its stablemates, but is capable nonetheless. This will be the best seller on the Irish market, making up 60 per cent of Irish sales, but price differences across the range will be crucial.
The XJ range features air suspension derived from the current S-Type and offers a smooth ride, particularly on motorway stretches, if probably a little soft for more rugged Irish road.
Yet, it must be remembered that this car is designed for a US audience, where over 50 per cent of XJs are sold.
And not only is it popular with our American cousins, but it has a keen female audience in the US where 30 per cent of sales there are to women.
Regardless of customer demographics, the importance of the XJ to the marque cannot be over-estimated. Over half of all Jaguars sold have been XJ, with the original model coming off production lines back in 1968.
Inside and the benefits of aluminium are clear, allowing Jaguar to increase space without turning the XJ into a fat cat. A vast improvement on its predecessor, there is a whopping 40 per cent more space in the rear and 27 per cent more in the boot.
Returning to the balance between tradition and technology, the interior design features the customary analogue clocks, leather and wood, yet manages to combine these with an impressive touchscreen system for navigation and entertainment system, amenable to even the most luddite executive. With Irish sales expected to reach 150 a year, Jaguar is hoping to maintain its significant share of the luxury segment, estimated to account for about 500 sales a year in Ireland.