First look: Jaguar's XJ at a stretch

JAGUAR’S seventh generation XJ luxury car has joined the stretched limousine battleground, with the long wheelbase version debuting at this month's New York auto show.

Both the car’s overall length and wheelbase have been extended by 125mm, making it the longest in class.

All the additional length is liberated behind the B-pillar, with rear legroom now an impressive 999mm. Access is via lengthened rear doors.

Jaguar has been able to stretch XJ with only a 24kg increase in weight, remembering this car is built around an aluminium chassis and has aluminium body panels.

There is a choice of rear seating configurations, from fixed or power-adjustable bench to individual powered and heated seats.

A comprehensive range of comfort and equipment options includes folding Business Tray work-tables, voice-activated four-zone climate control with individual rear passenger settings and a multi-media system with iPod, MP3 player and DVD connectivity, plus facility for rear display screens and telephone conference calls.

The XJ LWB is offered with the standard range of normally-aspirated and supercharged XJ V8 engines.

It will be available in Australia by special order only from late 2004. Pricing is yet to be announced.

Jaguar also showed in New York a one-off XJ dubbed Concept Eight that was devoted to the little luxuries in life, like handmade carpets, champagne, crystal and essential oils.

The full-length tinted glass is surrounded by a strip of LED interior lighting providing a red glow visible from the roof, the centre console and under the front seats.

The Jaguar designers also used wood and leather, but the wood has a matt finish and the leather on the lower instrument panel, doors and console is nubuck that is buffed on the grain side for a velvety surface.