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Editor/Photographer : Mark Charles

CANADIAN DEBUT OF THE ALL-NEW 2004 XJ SEDAN AT THE INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

Feb. 12, 2003

Jaguar’s all-new 2004 XJ sedan makes its Canadian debut at the Canadian International Auto Show, February 12-22, 2003. Due in showrooms late spring, the new XJ is the most technically advanced Jaguar ever built. Lightweight aluminum monocoque construction provides the blueprint for future intelligent manufacturing of full-size luxury cars allowing the new XJ to be stronger, faster, smarter and safer than the model it replaces. The new XJ will be the seventh generation of the iconic XJ sedan, the car that has defined the Jaguar brand since its original launch in 1968.

Powerful and refined V8 engines take advantage of the weight-saving benefits that the XJ's aluminum construction offers. A new 4.2-litre supercharged V8, delivering a massive 390bhp (SAE) accelerates the XJR flagship from standstill to 100 km in just 5.1 seconds. A normally-aspirated version of the same engine develops a muscular 294bhp (SAE) - power to provide 0-100 km acceleration in 6.4 seconds in the XJ8.

Both engines benefit from being coupled to a new, highly-responsive six-speed ZF automatic transmission, first introduced in the new 2003 S-TYPE range.

“The new XJ surpasses all others in its segment in every respect – state-of-the-art technology, craftsmanship and performance,” said Vic Bernardini, President of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover Canada. "And its ultra-modern styling has stayed true to the traditional core Jaguar values."

Featuring an industry-first use of rivet-bonded joining technology for the whole body structure, self-pierce rivets are used in combination with aerospace-sourced epoxy adhesive to join the aluminum pressings, castings and extrusions. In the construction of the new XJ’s body, 88 robots apply almost 3,200 rivets and more than 350 feet of structural adhesives. The result: a body that is significantly stiffer – by 60 percent – and lighter by 40 percent than its steel equivalent. The strength of its architecture also ensures superb crashworthiness while the aluminum sheet metal panels are bake-hardened offering added resilience against dings and dents.

The new XJ is longer, taller and wider than before. The increased dimensions result in a cabin that offers significantly more headroom, legroom, shoulder room and rear-seat knee room, providing a comfortable and spacious environment for five adults. There’s also more space for luggage in a trunk that is 25 percent bigger than the previous XJ’s. Even the glove box is increased in size.

The cabin is packed with new technologies to increase comfort and driving enjoyment. Available features include JaguarVoice, providing drivers and, for the first time, rear seat passengers with voice-activated control of the telephone, navigation systems, audio equipment, and climate control.

Another advance is an optional multi-media entertainment system that allows simultaneous enjoyment of up to three different audio, video or game systems. Two 6.5-inch color display screens are mounted in the rear of the front seat head restraints, allowing rear seat passengers to watch DVDs or play video games. “Our target in developing the new Jaguar XJ was to produce one of the world’s safest cars,” explains David Scholes, XJ Chief Program Engineer. “And the XJ’s body structure is the foundation of its excellent safety performance.”

Being lighter than the equivalent steel body, the XJ body structure carries significantly less kinetic energy into a collision, reducing the amount of energy that has to be absorbed by the body in an accident.

To optimize protection, Jaguar’s renowned 'A.R.T.S' (Adaptive Restraint Technology System) senses the severity of a crash, the position of the driver and the usage of seatbelts, to provide tailored protection. This is combined with standard-fit side thorax and full-length side curtain airbag protection that deploy in the event of a side impact.

Ride comfort and vehicle handling are taken to new heights with the new XJ. Self-leveling air suspension is standard on all models, as is an enhanced version Jaguar’s 'C.A.T.S' (Computer Active Technology Suspension system).

“In the new XJ, we have blended elegance, and sensuous design with real technical achievement. In every respect, the new XJ is an icon reinvented,” adds Bernardini.

Note to Editors: The all-new 2004 XJ will be unveiled to media attending the Canadian International Auto Show on Wednesday, February 12 at 10:50 a.m. in the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Prices of the all-new 2004 XJ range will be announced in late spring 2003.

THE All-NEW 2004 XJ AT A GLANCE

The new XJ is the most advanced production Jaguar ever.
It’s the seventh generation of the XJ series. The first XJ was introduced 34 years ago in September 1968.
More than 800,000 XJs have been sold since the first model was introduced, accounting for over half of all Jaguars made.
Engines comprise 4.2-litre V8 (supercharged and normally-aspirated) both with six-speed automatic transmission.
The new XJ’s body is 40 per cent lighter and 60 per cent stiffer than the equivalent steel body.
Each new XJ is assembled using 88 robots that apply almost 3,200 rivets and more than 120 metres of adhesives.
The front door of a new XJ weighs 10 kg – that’s 45 percent less than the equivalent steel door.
Prototypes of the new XJ underwent the equivalent of two lifetimes’ motoring in simulated testing.
The XJ’s air suspension ‘wakes up’ every 24 hours and levels the car when it’s parked and not in use.
The supercharger spins five per cent faster than in the previous XJR.
The Adaptive Cruise Control radar takes 40 measurements on each sweep.
The new XJ underwent more than 500 computer-simulated crash tests before its first physical barrier test.