Car Design Fetish

Jaguar recently invited us to see the new XJ and have a chat with Design Director Ian Callum.  The conversation spanned a variety of topics like childhood, Jaguars’ future and the future of automobile design.  Ian was great to talk to with a laid back personality and a true love for the Jaguar brand.

Check out the podcast for the full interview.

More pics and opinions of the design after the jump.

Overall the car has a nice volume to it with full uninterrupted surfaces.  It has a richness to it on the sense of scale.

This car has already had its fair share of opinions with the controversial C pillar, but I think there are other larger issues with the design.  During our time spent with Ian we stayed around the rear of the car for 90% of the time.  I think this reflects well on the design of the car.  My point being that the front and rear do not speak very well to each other.   Ian was very proud of the rear end and admitted that the team spent a lot of time focusing on the back of the car.  What about the front?

The rear is very different from the XK but the front looks very similar.  If you are trying to keep the design different then the XK you should probably start on the part of the car you usually see first.  My other issue is the character line running over the rear fender and down into the tail lights.  In my opinion the rear of the car begins to look like it is falling off.  This effect is emphasized by the tear drop DLO graphic pointing down at the rear.

The interior is nicely done with everything wrapped in leather and beautiful wood trim.  The most notable features are the digital and customizable gauges and the large HVAC vents.  The vents are reminiscent of cars from the fifties IMO and are well crafted with actual metal and a blue glow from behind the vent director.

Ian summed the design up best by saying “you have to see it on the road to get the full impact.”  I agree, for after seeing it I am on the fence about some of the chosen directions.  The XJ will start rolling out in early 2010.

Press Release Summary

ALL NEW JAGUAR XJ – IN SUMMARY

The all new Jaguar XJ brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury. Sleek, sporting and sophisticated, it offers a seductive mix of striking design, breathtaking performance, refined luxury and sophisticated engineering.

Building on the success of the new XK and XF models, the introduction of the all new XJ is a landmark for the revitalized Jaguar brand. Clearly positioned as the company’s ultimate four-door flagship, it extends the appeal of the legendary XJ line to a new generation of customers.

Jaguars are renowned for their elegant, sporting lines and the all new XJ, with its fluid, contemporary style, is the boldest interpretation yet of Design Director Ian Callum’s vision for Jaguar in the 21st century.

A panoramic glass roof is an integral part of the all new XJ’s design, enabling the car to have a lower, more streamlined roofline, while dramatically enhancing the feeling of light and space inside.

Standard and long wheelbase models are available from launch. The long wheelbase offers an even more sumptuous and refined environment for rear-seat passengers with an additional 5 inches of legroom. The XJ’s largest-in class trunk features power opening and closing for convenient access to the 18.4 cu. ft. storage space.

The all new XJ cabin blends elegant, contemporary design with the comfort, luxury and unmistakable sporting style of a Jaguar. Chrome and piano black detailing provides an eye-catching contrast to the beautifully-crafted leather and veneer surfaces.

To complement the all new cabin design is a level of choice in colors, veneers and leathers not seen before in a Jaguar.  The four models – XJ, XJL, Supercharged and Supersport – blend together the different elements to allow the customer to tailor the car to suit their personal tastes.  The ultimate expression of this is the Supersport model, available by custom order only, with specification including a leather roof-lining, semi-aniline leather seats and veneers with laser inlays.

Advanced new technologies have allowed Jaguar’s interior designers to create an environment more akin to a state-of-the-art living space than a simple car cabin. Stunning, 12.3-inch high-definition Virtual Instruments complement the 8-inch Touch-screen, which displays vehicle functions.

Premium surround sound options include the top-of-the-range 1200-watt Bowers & Wilkins system which is comparable in audio quality to the world’s best in-home entertainment. Advanced infotainment features also include hard drive-based audio and navigation systems, and comprehensive connectivity for portable audio and video devices via the powerful Media Hub.

The all new XJ’s beauty is much more than skin-deep: it is constructed using Jaguar’s aerospace-inspired aluminum body technology, which makes the XJ lighter than its rivals by at least 300lbs. These technologies – now developed into an even more impressive new generation of the XJ – provides benefits to performance, handling and fuel economy, while delivering increased strength, refinement and safety.

Proven Jaguar dynamic technologies are taken to new levels in the all new XJ. Features such as air suspension, Adaptive Dynamics (continuously variable damping), Active Differential Control and quick-ratio power steering deliver the blend of responsive, dynamic handling and refined, supple ride expected from a Jaguar.

The all new XJ benefits from the most advanced powertrains ever in a Jaguar, combining high performance with fuel efficient technologies such as direct injection. In the U.S. market, customers will have a choice of three engines based on model, all coupled to a shift-by-wire, six-speed automatic transmission controlled by the JaguarDrive Selector™ or steering wheel-mounted paddles:

• 5.0-liter 385hp AJ-V8 Gen III naturally aspirated direct-injection V8 – 0-60mph in 5.4 secs (0-100kph in 5.7 secs), in the XJ and XJL models
• 5.0-liter 470hp AJ-V8 Gen III supercharged direct-injection V8 – 0-60mph in 4.9 secs (0-100kph in 5.2 secs), in the XJ Supercharged and XJL Supercharged models
• 5.0-liter 510hp AJ-V8 Gen III supercharged direct-injection V8 – 0-60mph in 4.7 secs (0-100kph in 4.9 secs), in the XJ Supersport  and XJL Supersport models

In the U.S., the all new XJ can be ordered now. Delivery of first customer cars will begin in early 2010.

• Jaguar has built upon its leading quality performance using the latest ‘virtual’ product development technologies. This approach features an obsessive attention to detail, with almost 40,000 quality-specific assessments during the development stage.
• The all new XJ brings new standards of sustainability to the luxury vehicle segment. The lightweight aluminum structure – with 50 percent recycled material – underpinned by a lifecycle approach to vehicle design and manufacture, enables the all new XJ to minimize its carbon footprint. This alone creates a potential savings of three tons of CO₂ per vehicle, compared to a bodyshell made from new aluminum.
• The Jaguar brand has been acknowledged with a joint first ranking in a vehicle dependability study in 2009. Jaguar’s obsessive attention to quality and service has also resulted in #1 rankings in sales satisfaction and customer service.
• The all new XJ offers extremely attractive cost of ownership with impressive fuel economy across the range, high predicted residual values and 15,000-mile service intervals.

 

 CDF Podcast #17: Ian Callum and the XJ [44:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download