It’s probably safe to say not many auto enthusiasts aspire to take a limousine for a spin. Be driven around in one maybe, but not assume the controls. I’m not saying that the refreshed 2016 Jaguar XJL, L for long wheelbase (LWB), four-door flagship is a limo, although it’s a vehicle designed to be equally as delightful for passengers as it is for the person behind the wheel.
At 5,255 millimetres long and 2,105 mm wide, the XJL is big. What’s amazing is that even given its huge footprint, Jaguar has managed to give the extended sedan an elegant and graceful rather than an awkward look. One of the visual elements contributing to this is the illusion of a floating roof, created by the blacked-out B and C pillars and huge rear window.
The standard-issue “Toba” silver split five-spoke aluminum wheels pair nicely with the car’s lines and Ultimate Black metallic paint job ($600), but could stand to be at least an inch or two larger to better fill up the fender wells – there’s always the option for customers to refer to the accessories catalogue to size up.
For the 2016 model year, there are numerous styling updates such as an even bigger grille featuring a different mesh pattern, J-shaped LED daytime running lights embedded in the headlight housing unique to the XJ, chrome air blades in the lower front bumper air intakes, and re-sculpted LED rear taillights.
The interior has been given special treatment to further differentiate the LWB from standard variants. I thought the previous versions I’ve driven were as nice as the vehicle could ever get. Boy was I wrong. Now XJLs receive quilted leather seating surfaces sporting a diamond-sewn pattern on both the seatbacks and the cushions. Front occupants are bound to find a perfect sitting position using the 14-way adjustable settings, and then afterwards can knead out any kinks via the built-in massager.
Some other convenience functions are a one-touch-open glovebox, automatic powered trunk, and a newly developed InControl Touch Pro infotainment system consisting of a quad-core Intel processor, 60-gigabyte SSD hard drive and eight-inch capacitive touchscreen. Operations have been greatly simplified, and made much quicker, compared to the former setup. Users can customize the home screen, and use pinch and zoom gestures like they would on any modern mobile device.
Parking the lengthy car can be a challenge, so I would highly recommend adding on the $1,000 Parking Assist Pack that includes front and rear sensors to help indicate if the exterior is about to come in contact with any unwanted foreign objects.
Returning to the fold is the all-aluminum 3.0-litre, 340 horsepower supercharged V6 engine mated to the oh-so-smooth-shifting ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. While rear-wheel drive is available, our presser came with the Vancouver-suited all-wheel drive system favouring a rear power bias under regular conditions for a more spirited feel, but can send up to 50 percent torque to the front wheels if the computer detects any slippage.
Highlights (as tested):
MSRP:$107,775
Motor:3.0-litre supercharged V6
Horsepower:340 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb-ft):332 @ 3,550 rpm
Gearbox:ZF eight-speed automatic
Layout:Front engine, all-wheel drive
Fuel Economy:16.3 L/100 km mixed city/highway (observed)
