X marks the spot for Jaguar

Jan 31 2010 Edward Stephens

X marks the spot for Jaguar

IT'S out with the old and in with the new for Jaguar as the registrations change.

The 'baby' Jaguar - the X-Type - has just gone out of production with buyers already snapping up most of the available models and just a handful left in the showrooms if you are quick.

At the opposite end of the range - in terms of size - in comes the company's flagship, the new XJ saloon.

Jaguar already has an impressive order bank for the car which will be appearing in showrooms during March.

Enthusiastic customers who got their orders in early will also be getting their vehicles delivered around the same time to claim a bit of one-upmanship.

The all-aluminium flagship saloon - which is priced from £53,775 - features an innovative new panoramic glass roof as an integral part of the design concept, enabling the car to have a lower, more streamlined roofline, while dramatically enhancing the feeling of light and space inside.

Along with the XF it's the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever, with the lightest body in its class. The aluminium body uses more than 50 per cent recycled material, with a plan to increase this to 75 per cent.

Even though it's a totally different car the new XJ takes some of its styling cues from the award-winning XF saloon, one of the most successful cars ever built by Jaguar in recent times.

Sales of XF models in December were double that of December 2009 and March looks to build on that.

Buyers have a choice of 3.0-litre diesel and petrol models or 5.0-litre petrol models - including the blistering supercharged model - the XFR. XF prices start from around £33,000.

For drivers who crave a more sporting drive the Jaguar XK and XKR in both coupe and convertible form all now come with the new 5.0-litre engine.

In the case of the XKR that means you now have 510bhp under the bonnet as opposed to a mere 420 with old 4.2-litre V8.

Prices for XK start from around £60,000, depending upon specification.