2016 Jaguar XJR
While the XJ pampered plenty before, heated and cooled front and rear seats are now standard. The 380-watt, 14-speaker Meridian stereo gets ditched for an 825-watt, 17-speaker unit with three surround-sound modes. A new 26-speaker, 1300-watt system will be reserved for the uppermost XJs. The XJL Portfolio (the starter trim for long-wheelbase models) and XJL Supercharged include diamond-stitched seats, and the XJR is now available in a short-wheelbase configuration. Short XJs also get contrast stitching and piping, which before was part of a $4000 option package. Also, to make things more complex, the six-cylinder short XJs all get an “R-Sport” designation but no additional performance upgrades that such a name might suggest.
That the current XJ doesn’t appear in any way outdated after six model years is testament to two things: Ian Callum deserves his big salary, and XJs—and indeed, all Jaguars—sell in very limited quantities. Be it due to perceptions of unreliability or Mercedes-Benz’s total domination of the market, only 4300 XJs left the lot last year, continuing the car’s streak as the lowest-selling full-size luxury sedan. BMW and Lexus sold twice as many 7-series and LS models in 2014, and Mercedes nearly six times as many S-class variants. This is a damn nice car that too many rich people don’t drive.
