2007 Jaguar XK-Series Review

The redesigned 2007 Jaguar XK sports car seemed to be flying as it gulped down miles of two-lane desert and mountain roads near here at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula.

In the passenger seat of the British XK was Russell Varney, chief XK program engineer, who was at the recent XK media preview here. Varney said Jaguar even worked hard with a "semi-active" exhaust system to get exhaust sounds just right for a sports car.

The new made-in-England model is the first new XK in a decade. It continues as a coupe and convertible, with the coupe at $74,835 and the convertible at $80,835. It looks more muscular than its predecessor, and drives like a more aggressive sports car.

Jaguar calls the new XK the spark, the catalyst "that takes us from where we were to where we want to be."

Ford-owned Jaguar has been shooting for higher volumes with more models to concentrate on the mass-luxury market. But, with falling sales despite high quality ratings, it now says it has taken a "bold, decisive change of direction," with the aim of "tightly managing ourselves as a true luxury brand."

Many buyers of upscale foreign luxury cars opt for Japanese models. That annoys Jaguar because it has a rich production and racing heritage. Rival Lexus, for instance, never existed before 1990.

Jaguar thus says it intends to become a "niche player," as it was for decades, with fewer sales but higher profits and "more balance in our business."

"The 2007 XK shows Jaguar's new direction. Going back to the 1948 XK-120 and 1961 E-Type [also called "XK-E"] two-seaters, Jaguar has used new sports cars to reinvent itself," said Jaguar North America chief Mike O'Driscoll in an interview here. Those cars were dramatic departures from previous Jaguars, and the new XK is considerably changed from its predecessor.

The XK has advanced construction, with an extremely strong all-aluminum monocoque body structure (think jet plane). Such construction allows lighter weight and thus lets the 2007 XK accelerate faster, handle and brake better and use less fuel than the old steel-body XK.

Most Americans have been indifferent to the fairly new, all-aluminum Jaguar XJ sedan's groundbreaking engineering, shared by the XK. O'Driscoll thus said Jaguar will just stress such aluminum construction's advantages, such as faster acceleration.

Jaguar also isn't baffling XK buyers with technical items, as some German automakers have done.

"We're technically advanced without overwhelming customers with high-tech features that they need to heavily study an owner's manual to figure out," O'Driscoll said.

Not that the new XK is a retromobile, although it still resembles predecessor XK models. For instance, it has an easily used touch-screen information and control center. There's also a keyless start with a push-button starter. Options include adaptive cruise control, which automatically reduces speed if traffic conditions make that necessary.

The new XK squarely puts Jaguar in the sports car picture again -- although it continues to be posh and comfortable. The previous XK was the fastest-selling sports car in Jaguar history, but it lacked the visceral appeal of the new XK.

The 2007 XK is about the same length as the old model but is several inches wider. And its wheelbase is stretched nearly 7 inches for better ride and handling, besides a roomier interior.

Most XK customers are expected to be males 40-50 years old with a $250,000 median income, said C.J. O'Donnell, executive vice president of marketing and sales for Jaguar North America. He said buyers of either sex "will have an affinity with luxury products."

Jaguar lowered the dashboard to enhance cockpit airiness, and the interior is luxurious, with excellent fit and finish of top-quality materials -- including wood or retro-style aluminum trim.

Jaguar dashboards once were filled with gauges, but the new XK has only speedometer and tachometer gauges. Other information is supplied by electronic displays, including a digital display for remaining fuel. A sports car should have coolant temperature, fuel level and voltage gauges.

With 300 horsepower from the smooth XK V-8, it takes just a few eye blinks of hard acceleration to put the 150-mph car above 100 mph. The coupe does 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds, the convertible in 6 seconds.

I usually sped along Mexico's roads at a restful 70 mph in the XK convertible. There was little wind buffeting at that speed and a conversation could be held with normal voice levels with the thickly padded, tight-fitting top lowered.

The coupe has more utility, along with a rakish roofline and voluptuous rear curves. Most XK buyers have bought the convertible version, but a greater number are expected to get the new coupe.

"The new XK was initially designed to be a convertible," chief program engineer Varney said. "It's not a coupe with its top chopped off to make it a convertible."

The XK has a sophisticated six-speed automatic transmission with Drive and Sport Drive modes. The transmission also can be manually shifted with lightning speed via steering-wheel-mounted paddles -- a Jaguar "first."

There's no manual gearbox, and the "J-gate" shifter long used for Jaguar automatic transmissions is history.

Weight is a prime enemy of fuel economy, but aluminum construction let Jaguar cut 199 pounds from the old coupe and 308 pounds from the convertible. Both 2007 versions are lighter than the rival BMW 6-Series and Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.

Estimated economy is 18 mpg in the city and 26 on highways. Not bad for a fairly big sports car with a roomy front seat. The coupe weighs 3,516 pounds, the convertible 3,605 pounds

The XK has a muscular feel, but drives smaller than its dimensions might suggest. Steering is plenty quick, and the car adroitly handles fast curves and sudden directional changes. Traction and stability control systems are standard.

The supple, advanced suspension delivers a ride that's so good you can feel each wheel smoothing out bumps. Standard are 18-inch wheels, with 19- or 20-inch wheels optional. Powerful new anti-lock brakes scrub off speed quickly and begin working with the first touch of the pedal.

Doors are 13 pounds lighter, but they're long and can be a problem in tight spots. The nicely contoured twin rear seats are best suited for children or pets, although two journalists a little more than 5 feet tall fit in the rear and said they'd be fairly comfortable on short trips.

The convertible's trunk is shallow with the top down, but the coupe has a large cargo area when you flip up the rear hatch, which raises easily on gas struts and requires little effort to close.

Jaguar needs the new XK to stir car buyer emotions, as did the XK-120 and E-Type. It promises to do that. 

2007 JAGUAR XK 

PRICES: $74,835-$80,835

LIKES: Advanced new design. More aggressive styling. Fast. Superb handling and braking.

DISLIKES: Long doors. Tight rear seat. Needs more gauges. Shallow convertible model trunk.