2012 Jaguar XJ Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Jaguar XJ review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Jaguar XJ, and includes Jaguar XJ safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Serving as Jaguar’s super-luxury sedan, the XJ counts among its competitors the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Five new option packages are available on the various 2012 Jaguar XJ models, including a Portfolio Package, an Executive Package, an Illumination Package, a Rear Seat Comfort Package, and several versions of the Sport and Speed Package. New interior color combinations are also available for 2012.

The 2012 Jaguar XJ is available in standard- and long-wheelbase variants, the latter referenced by an “L” as part of the name. The lineup consists of the standard XJ, the XJL Portfolio, the XJ and XJL Supercharged, and the XJ and XJL Supersport.

Standard XJ equipment includes premium leather, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and an extended leather treatment for the dashboard and door panels. A navigation system with a high-definition in-dash touchscreen and Interactive Voice natural speech recognition is included, as well as a 600-watt premium sound system with 14 speakers, HD Radio, satellite radio, an iPod/USB port, Bluetooth music streaming, and a hard-drive with 30GB of music storage space. Dual-zone automatic climate control, an panoramic sunroof, JaguarSense cabin lighting with Phosphor blue mood lighting, and virtual instrumentation are standard features, plus Jaguar Smart Key keyless entry and ignition, a power operated trunk, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, and a blind spot monitoring system. The XJ rides on a handsome set of 19-inch aluminum – that’s “al-u-minium” to you – wheels.

That’s quite a list of standard features, and Jaguar offers a number of ways to upgrade the XJ. For 2012, there’s a new Illumination Package (illuminated vents, door sills, and trunk finisher) and a new Portfolio Package (four-zone automatic climate control, 20-way power front seats with active ventilation and massage, rear heated and ventilated seats, rear side window sun blinds, Suedecloth headliner, contrast stitching and piping on the leather seats). A Visibility Package is also available, and includes Adaptive Front Lighting and Intelligent High Beam headlights.

In addition to these packages, the XJ can be equipped with a thundering 20-speaker, 1,200-watt Bowers & Wilkins audio system; Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Alert and Advanced Emergency Brake Assist; a rear-seat entertainment with dual eight-inch screens; and a heated windshield. Cosmetically, in addition to numerous paint color choices, there are six different wheel designs in 19- or 20-inch sizes, Satin Elm wood cabin trim, no-cost Piano Black interior decor, and extra-cost Carbon Fiber paneling.

The extended-wheelbase XJL Portfolio adds five extra inches of rear legroom, a unique wheel design, and all of the contents of XJ’s optional Portfolio Package. The XJL Portfolio is also available with the same list of optional features, along with a no-charge wood-and-leather steering wheel. For 2012, a new XJL Executive Package adds rear seat business trays, premium thick-pile floor mats, a heated wood-and-leather steering wheel, and chrome exterior mirror caps to the XJL Portfolio.

For more power and performance, the logical upgrade is to the XJ Supercharged or XJL Supercharged. In addition to a more powerful supercharged V8 engine, these models include an active rear differential, 20-inch alloy wheels, active rear differential, and Adaptive Front Lighting with Intelligent High Beam headlights. Additional upgrades include a standard Bowers & Wilkins sound system, a heated steering wheel, a power rear window sunblind and, on the XJL Supercharged, rear seat business trays and manual side window sun blinds.

Supercharged models are exclusively offered with a new-for-2012 Sport and Speed Package that includes a 174-mph top speed, unique 20-inch wheels, red-painted brake calipers, gloss black exterior trim, a front aero splitter, and a decklid lip spoiler. Inside, the Sport and Speed Package adds 18-way power sport seats with active heating, active ventilation and memory, Piano Black cabin trim, metal pedals, and a premium Suedecloth headliner. Additional options on this model include an Illumination Package, Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Alert and Advanced Emergency Brake Assist, a rear-seat entertainment system, and a heated windshield. Seven different wheel designs are available along with six different cabin trim materials including a choice between four different woods, Piano Black, or Carbon Fiber.

The top model is called the XJ Supersport and XJL Supersport. This model is loaded with nearly everything, and upgraded with semi-aniline leather, a leather headliner, a standard Illumination Package, and a new Rear Seat Comfort Package on the XJL variant that includes power rear seat reclining and lumbar support adjustment, massage functions, footrests, and winged headrests. The right side rear passenger can even power the front passenger’s seat forward to create even more legroom.

Options are limited to Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Alert and Advanced Emergency Brake Assist, a heated windshield, and a new Speed Package that adds a 174-mph top speed, unique 20-inch wheels, red-painted brake calipers, gloss black exterior trim, a front aero splitter, a decklid lip spoiler, and exclusive red contrast stitching for the interior. The Supersport model can be personalized with a choice between eight wheel designs, six cabin color schemes, and six different interior trims including Carbon Fiber, Piano Black, Walnut Curb, Satin Zebrano, Figured Ebony with ribbon inlays, and Rich Oak with linear inlays. A wood steering wheel is a no-charge option on the Supersport.

The Jaguar XJ and XJL Portfolio are motivated by a 5.0-liter V8 engine good for 385 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 380 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm. A six-speed automatic transmission delivers the power to the rear wheels, and Jaguar claims the XJ and XJL will accelerate to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. Fuel economy ratings for the XJ are 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway, while the XJL is rated 15-city/22-highway.

A supercharged version of the standard 5.0-liter V8 is installed under the XJ Supercharged models’ hoods, generating 470 horsepower from 6,000 to 6,500 rpm and 424 lb-ft of torque between 2,500 and 5,500 rpm. A six-speed automatic transmission powers the rear wheels, and the XJ Supercharged accelerates to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Fuel economy ratings are 15 mpg in the city, and 21 mpg on the highway.

The Jaguar XJ and XJL Supersport are equipped with a massaged version of the supercharged 5.0-liter V8, with output bumped to 510 horsepower between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm and 461 lb-ft of torque spread across the rev range between 2,500 and 5,500 rpm. A six-speed automatic puts the power to the pavement through the rear wheels, and fuel economy measures 15-city/21-highway. However, the added oomph drops acceleration to 60 mph from 4.9 seconds to 4.7 seconds.

In addition to its numerous airbags, stout antilock brakes with brake assist, and traction and stability control system, the 2012 Jaguar XJ models are equipped with front and rear parking aid sensors, a reversing camera, adaptive headlights that help to see around dark corners at night, and blind spot monitoring. Intelligent High Beam headlights can be added to the XJ and XJL Portfolio, and are standard on the Supercharged and Supersport models. An Adaptive Cruise Control system with Forward Alert and Intelligent Emergency Braking is an option on all models.

Don’t look for crash-test ratings for the Jaguar XJ. They don’t exist as this review is written, and because of the car’s high price and low sales volume, it is unlikely that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) will ever run one of these aluminum-bodied beauties into a wall.

We can consult reliability predictions, with J.D. Power and Associates giving the XJ a slightly better than average prediction for long-term dependability, and Consumer Reports assigning the Jaguar XJ its lowest rating of well below average. If you put more stock in the Consumer Reports prediction, perhaps your concerns will be assuaged by the Jaguar XJ’s four-year/50,000-mile warranty that includes complimentary scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance.

The Jaguar XJ was redesigned for 2011, but not completely re-engineered. Think of it as the most dramatic re-skin that could possibly be executed on the previous-generation XJ’s aluminum architecture.

Want a perfect illustration of the benefits of aluminum construction? The base Jaguar XJ weighs 22 pounds less than the base Jaguar XF.

The Jaguar XJ’s trunk measures 15.2 cubic-feet with the standard space-saver spare wheel. Yank it out, and the XJ can handle 18.4 cu-ft of cargo.

With the exceptions of the XJ’s unimpressive predicted reliability rating from Consumer Reports and the inexplicable black C-pillar trim panel that ruins an otherwise elegant greenhouse, we’re big fans of this Jaguar. Elegant and refined, roomy and comfortable, quick and light on its feet, the Jaguar XJ is a compelling alternative to heavy-hitters in the super-luxury sedan segment.

By Christian Wardlaw