Review: 2009 Jaguar XK 4.2 Coupe
Click above for a high res gallery of the Jaguar XK
Whenever lists of the most beautiful car designs of all time are written, one of the perennial entries is the Jaguar E-Type (known as the XK-E in the US). Originally introduced in 1961, the E-Type was built until 1975, when modern safety and emissions regulations finally brought an end to its run. For the next two decades it was succeeded by the XJ-S which had a strong following but never had the stunning beauty of its predecessor. In 1996 the XK was reborn now under Ford ownership.
While that XK looked the part of a modern interpretation of the E-Type, it's XJ-S derived chassis just wasn't up to the task of a modern GT. In 2006, the XK finally came right when the current generation debuted. The current XK was an all-new design, with an aluminum intensive chassis that cut some 200 pounds while adding the latest technology. We spent a week with a 2009 XK coupe that you can read about after the jump.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Depending on your preference for exposure to the sunshine you can opt for an XK in either coupe or convertible body style. Both XK body styles are also available in either medium or hot flavors when it comes to power. The 2009 XK that we sampled is powered by either a normally aspirated 4.2-liter V8 or a supercharged version of the same engine if you opt for the hot XK-R. Later this year an updated 2010 version with an upgraded 5.0-liter V8 will arrive but we'll come back to that at a later time.
The car that Jaguar loaned us for evaluation was the standard engined coupe finished in Vapor Gray. The two most iconic Jaguar shapes are the big XJ sedan and the E-type/XK line. The latter is one of the few cars that are named for animals have been able to consistently create styling that evokes their namesakes the way Jaguar has. The sleek shape of the XK with its powerful haunches looks just how you might expect a big cat to look if it evolved into a machine.
The standard XK is a grand tourer in the classic sense. It's got the long hood, and rear set compact cockpit proportions that imply a sporting machine. The big 19 inch wheels and fastback roof give the car an athletic stance. At the same time the styling is subdued enough not to look like something out of the Fast and the Furious. With or without a roof, the XK wouldn't look out of place pulling up to the valet stand at the country club.
One of the more practical elements of the XK coupe is that the sloping roof actually incorporates a huge hatchback. Many cars with a similar profile end up with a tiny trunk lid that makes loading bags for a long weekend near impossible. That big hatch gives easy access for a surprisingly large cargo area.
Once the golf clubs or suitcases are loaded up, it's time to slide into the cockpit. The internal surfaces are covered in wonderfully soft charcoal colored leather. The large and legible speedometer and tachometer flank a central display that provides a variety of information to the driver. A large touch screen LCD dominates the center stack for controlling the navigation, audio and climate control systems.
The user interface for the touch screen controls is about mid-pack for usability. Like the systems in every other car on the road it still can't approach the ease of use of Ford's latest design introduced in 2008 but it is superior to most of its German counterparts. The biggest failing of Jaguar's interface is actually slow response. It's not uncommon to press a control two or three times, thinking that it did not register your tap and then several seconds later the menu goes beyond where you wanted to be.
Fortunately, Jaguar's interior team has kept some of the most basic oft-used controls as discreet buttons on the center stack. It's nice to be able to adjust the temperatures for the dual zone climate control, turn on the seat heaters or switch between tracks on a CD or iPod without digging through menus.
Perhaps the best aesthetic element of the XK's interior is the wood trim. In recent years many luxury machines that feature veneers finishing the dashboard and other areas have incorporated surfaces that are so highly polished and glossy that real wood ends up looking like plastic. The American walnut in the Jaguar has a satin finish that looks warm and comforting and utterly organic.
On the flip-side is a complaint that is far from unique to the Jag. Look behind the seats and you will find something that looks vaguely like a back seat complete with seat-belts. However, even with the front seat pushed forward any but the smallest child would not actually fit back there.
It's time to set a new automotive design standard for back seats. If the seat cannot reasonably accommodate someone at least four feet tall, please just don't bother. Instead please provide a nicely carpeted storage shelf. Better still incorporate some shallow bins that a laptop case, camera bag or other package could be put into so it won't slide around. Rant completed.
Once you've settled into the XK with the seats and steering wheel adjusted, it's time to fire up the engine. Press the red button to the left of the shift lever and V8 cranks up. Pull the shifter back to drive and press the throttle and the big cat rolls out smoothly as the V8 purrs. Get deeper into the go pedal and you get a pleasant bark from the exhaust. It doesn't have the deep rumble of a muscle car, instead it's a note that tells the driver that there is 300 hp at your disposal but you're mature enough to use it responsibly.
Tapping the shifter over to left invokes the drive-sport mode for the throttle and shift response. In comfort mode, the 6-speed automatic shifts seamlessly when accelerating or decelerating. When sport is engaged the transmission stays in gear up to higher revs before shifting and under braking you can feel the gearbox shifting down through the gears aiding engine braking.
Another aspect of the grand tourer vs sports car difference is ride quality. A sports car like a Corvette tends to sacrifice some ride quality in favor of getting a few extra tenths of a G of lateral acceleration. The standard XK says, you have more than adequate performance available so I'm not punish you for driving down painfully rough Michigan roads. The XK came to us during the waning days of winter and was still shod with Bridgestone Blizzak LM winter tires.
For those that want to drive any high performance car (or any car for that matter) and are regularly exposed to winter weather, snow tires like the Blizzak are highly recommended. Just buy an extra set of rims and mount them up with the snows. When winter approaches take them down to the local tire shop and have them swapped. Once the snow and ice are gone, switch back to the summer rubber.
The XK comes very well equipped right out of the box for $77,200. The only options on our test car were the walnut veneers and a Bowers and Wilkins premium audio system. The bottom line price came to $81,025 for what is one of the most attractive GTs on the road.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
