Jaguar unveils armoured XJ

JAGUAR has announced an armoured version of the long-wheelbase XJ luxury limo ahead of its debut at the Moscow motor show on August 25.

Named Sentinel, it has been designed to be “virtually indistinguishable” from the standard XJ, although a closer look reveals the tell-tale wide black windscreen border and thicker internal window frames.

The Sentinel’s armour offers ballistic protection up to B7 level, which means it has been tested to withstand repeated hits from a range of firearms including a .44 Magnum hand gun, AK47 assault rifle and even an armour-piercing 7.62 NATO round.

It is also rated for close-proximity blast protection against 15kg of TNT, while the reinforced floor offers “substantial” grenade protection.

All this protection boosts the veicle's weight by 1.5 tonnes, with kerb weight increasing from 1773kg to 3300kg.

Despite this, Jaguar claims that the weight-saving qualities of the XJ donor car contribute to a “generous” capacity of 500kg for passengers, luggage and equipment.

To bring all that extra weight under control, the Sentinel is fitted with high-performance brakes from the supercharged XJ, along with uprated suspension and strengthened 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Dunlop run-flat rubber.

Powered by a standard 283kW/515Nm normally aspirated V8, the armoured big cat’s performance is somewhat blunted, with the Sentinel taking 9.7 seconds to reach 100km/h from standstill (compared with 5.7 seconds for the standard car) on the way to a reduced top speed of 195km/h, down from 250km/h.

Jaguar worked with Centigon, a leading specialist in vehicle armouring, to engineer the Sentinel. The armoured inner cell is contracted from high-strength steels with Kevlar backing and the protection was independently certified by blast and ballistic testing organisation QiniteQ.

Jaguar Cars managing director Mike O’Driscoll said the XJ Sentinel had been designed and developed in partnership with industry leaders, and incorporated the latest armoured vehicle systems to deliver extremely impressive levels of protection, while maintaining a discreet appearance.

As a factory conversion, the Sentinel is covered by Jaguar’s standard warranty and the protection has been designed so that regular servicing and repair can be done by Jaguar dealers using standard equipment.

Customers can choose optional security and vehicle features and Jaguar also offers a full after-sales support package including driver training and on-site servicing.

As the traditional transport of choice for the British Prime Minister, the Sentinel will join the ranks of armoured luxury cars that include the BMW 7 Series High Security, Mercedes-Benz S-Guard and Audi A8 L W12 Security – with the latter featuring emergency pyrotechnic door removal.