A FEW years ago, Jaguar design underwent a dramatic change. It was as if the company’s employees had been sent to drama school.

First performance featured the sporty XK coupe, a statement of intent for future productions. Act Two saw the arrival of the quite brilliant XF, the best big cat offering for more years than anyone would care to remember.

Then came Act Three – the XJ – sleek, sporting and sophisticated, and offering a seductive mix of striking design, breathtaking performance and engineering without compromise.

Building on the success of the XK and XF, the XJ is another landmark for the revitalised Jaguar brand, a four-door flagship that is the boldest interpretation yet of design director Ian Callum’s vision for Jaguar in the 21st century.

What these three cars have in common more than anything else is a sense of theatre, something sadly lacking in previous offerings from a brand that may have cossetted and provided a comfortable ride but did little to bump up your heart rate.

There are still hints of the original XJ in the slim pillars and the shape of the grille in the new version, but this cat is more four-door coupe than saloon. It makes its more conservative rivals look positively dull.

Step inside and the XJ offers more of the wow factor. Beatifully-crafted leather seats and a lush ambience make you feel that you are in a very special car. And you are.

The slim window line makes the XJ feels snug and solid from the inside, with a high shoulder line leaving you cocooned, but not cramped.

The touchscreen system means an uncluttered dashboard. You can have all the toys to go with it, too.

The Dual-View screen allows the passenger to watch a DVD or television while the driver can only see information and the satellite navigation display, the seats have the option of heating, ventilation and massage and the 825W audio system delivers a sumptuous sound.

But the comfort and luxury is only half the story, because the blood of a sports car should run through every true Jag. As with the previous generation, this XJ has an aluminium structure – 50 per cent recycled – which gives it a150kg weight advantage over the competition.

That’s good for economy and performance: the most popular 3.0- litre V6 diesel version can achieve a very impressive 40mpg and 184g/km of C02, yet deliver proper controlled by the gear selector or steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The XJ benefits from the most advanced, powerful and efficient Jaguar powertrains ever.

Apart from the aforementioned diesel offering, there’s a 3.0 litre V6 340PS supercharged petrol and the 5.0-litre V8 510PS and 550PS supercharged petrol engines found in XJ Supersport and XJR.

Sitting at the very apex of the lineup is the long wheelbase version of this Supersport beast, so you not only get oodles of power, but also an extraordinary amount of space for your passengers to enjoy amid all the entertainment and comforts on offer.

But despite the enormous amount of power on tap, the cabin remains hushed, apart from a pleasing rasp from the exhaust.

The Drive Selector also allows you to switch out of standard mode into dynamic or winter, wth adjustments made to steering weight, gearbox mode and suspension stiffness.

Even in standard mode, the XJ offers a frmer ride than the competition. It can still waft along and insulate you from the worst that the road has to offer, but this is a car you should buy because you want to be behind the wheel.

Replacing the XJ was the hardest task for Jaguar. Not because of the brilliance of the last generation version, great car that it was, but because no XJ has been able to step out of the shadow of the original – until now. This is an XJ for the 21st century that pays no more than a complimentary nod to the past.

Start the engine and three virtual dials build before your eyes: the centre dial houses aspeedometer, flanked on the right by arev counter and on the left by an information window with fuel and temperature gauges.

To maximise clarity, the display employs aspotlight effect to highlight the areas showing the most important information, such as the current speed or engine revs.

Select the Dynamic mode and the dials assume a sporting red hue and features a bold gear position indicator which glows red as you reach the rev limiter. Pure theatre.

The primary objective while developing the new XJ was to provide a combination of focused and responsive sporting dynamics, allied to the suppleness and refinement of a luxury vehicle. The all-new XJ is a driver’s car and surprisingly agile for its size, but without any compromise to comfort.

At more relaxed cruising speeds, the new XJ is blissfully silent. When driven in a more spirited fashion, however, carefully-tuned air intake systems deliver an inspiring engine soundtrack.

OK, the Supersport is only for a privileged few petrolheads with big pockets, but it still represents a magnificent achievement by Jaguar.


JAGUAR XJ L 5.0 SUPERSPORT V8

PRICE: £95,235 (XJ range from £56,865)

ENGINE: 5.0-litre V8 petrol supercharged

TRANSMISSION: eight-speed automatic

PERFORMANCE: 0 to 60mph in 4.7 seconds; top speed 155mph

ECONOMY: 24.4mpg combined CO2 RATING: 270g/km