The XJL Supersport is the high end of the XJ line that is at the top of the Jaguar fleet. This rear-wheel drive, five-passenger car has a base starting price of $73,700. The added “L” brings five more inches of rear-seat legroom to the party at a cost of $7,000 but it is the supercharged engines that drive the bottom line and the excitement upward. The base 5.0-liter V8 engine has 385-horsepower, the Supercharged V8 gets 470 horsepower and the supercharged Supersport gets 510 horsepower. Giddyup. Jaguar says the 0-60 mph time is 4.7 seconds. We had no evidence to dispute that, having fishtailed the car twice while making seemingly pedestrian starts into traffic. Little, though, is pedestrian about the XJL.
First there’s the road experience. The aluminum chassis is lightweight (although the car still comes in at 4,200 pounds), the suspension is adaptive, the 6-speed automatic transmission has a sport mode and there are paddle shifters for manual control. That’s if you feel like working. There are plenty of opportunities to sit back and let the XJL take over.
The road darkened ahead? The bright lights come on automatically. A car approaching? Bright lights off. Rain coming down? Wipers on. Sun out? Wipers off. So what’s a driver to do? Enjoy. The seats are heated and ventilated and they come with massage. Don’t feel bad about sitting in your driveway to get away from it all. Not only do the back-seat passengers get all of the comforts in the XJL Supersport, they get an entertainment system with monitors in the back of the front head rests, climate controls, sloped footrests and fold-down tray tables. Only the necessary driveline hump for the center passenger is a downer.
The technology available to the driver is boundless and starts with the slick pop-up shifter in the center console. There is a winter drive mode when conditions get dicey. The navigation system utilizes a large 8-inch touchscreen, although it is not the most user-friendly. Front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot warning system and backup camera are standard. Interior materials, right down the walnut curl veneer on the front door panels, are superb.
The price tag can be steep for a Jaguar XJL Supersport, but it can also be your chance at true love.
David Mikesell is a free-lance automotive reviewer based in Indianapolis. Read this review and others like it at DaytonDailyNews.com/Wheels.
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