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Jaguar XK Coupe 5.0 litre road test

Performance

Out with the old and in the with the new for the Jaguar XK 2010MY; the previous 4.2 litre engine has been jettisoned in favour of an even bigger unit, namely the brand new AJ-V8 Gen III which is a naturally aspirated 5.0 litre V8 petrol engine. Delivering 385 hp of power and 515Nm of torque the new XK benefits from a 25% increase over the outgoing 4.2litre engine, and performance is impressive, as the equally notable six-speed automatic gearbox smoothly and confidently puts all that power to good use as it propels the driver into a smug, satisfied feeling of authority over other road users. A further enhancement over the 4.2litre XK is the debut of the JaguarDrive Selector and starter, which has come over from the mighty XF, which imbues a certain sense of occasion whenever the cat is woken up. Glancing through the usual plethora of statistics the XK underperforms slightly in the 0-62mph test compared to its rivals losing the race by a few milliseconds to the Audi R8, BMW 650, and Maserati GranTurismo, however a time of 5.5 seconds is hardly evidence of slack performance while top speed has been electronically limited to 155mph. For those interested in CO2 emissions the more powerful 5.0l engine has actually seen a slight improvement on emissions coming down from 269g/km to 264g/km, likewise fuel efficiency has seen a slight improvement over the 4.2l with a respectable 25.2mpg on a combined cycle. Preciously little difference is evident between the coupe and the convertible versions, however for the reviewer the note of the engine in the enclosed cabin of the coupe is something else.

Ride & Handling

Jaguar’s proven Computer Active Technology Suspension AKA CATS (see what they did there?) has been superseded with Adaptive Dynamics; which takes damper tuning systems to another level. Its main functions control body roll, pitch and any vertical movement, while monitoring road conditions and driving style to create and modify the ride and handling characteristics of the car hundreds of times a second the result is a satisfying and engaging drive with the car responding to the whim of the driver. Over uneven country roads the damping irons out the worst of the surface by controlling independently each wheels vibrations or bounce on the road. The JaguarDrive Control allows the driver to set the level of the Adaptive Dynamics therefore those wanting a stiffen suspension can do so by switching to Dynamic Mode.

Build Quality & Reliability

The JaguarDrive Selector and engine aren’t the only enhancements over the old Jaguar XK, the model gains a distinguishing new front bumper design which gives the front of the car a slightly more muscular, aggressive appearance. This is further helped by the two tone grille mesh colouring, with the top given a chrome finish, while the lower has a black finish. The eagle eyed will also no doubt spot new wing mirrors, which now incorporate LED side repeaters and approach lamps. These minor tweaks have lifted the overall aesthetics of the car and it comes down personal preference whether this or the Audi R8 is the best looking car in its class, for what it is worth the Jaguar XK Coupe just beats the glorious Audi R8 by a whisker in my opinion, with its classical good looks just swatting away the modern Audi from the prize! Inside the cabin, the first thing that strikes you is the similarity to the XF and in many respects this is no bad thing; Jaguar have obvious put a lot of development time working out the ergonomics of the driver and front passenger areas; the all leather sport seating being particularly luxurious. The dash is clear, with no oddness which can afflict some manufacturers, and comes with a 7” touch screen display with copious amounts of options and functions, including sat nav, radio (DAB is an extra), and 6-disc CD. Perhaps the only complaint which could be levelled at the interior is that it is similar to the significantly cheaper (award laden) Jaguar XF and perhaps customers coughing up £60,000 on the car would expect a higher specification than a £35,000 Jaguar XF, or maybe it is just a sign of the interior quality of the XF! The general level of finish is of a suitably high standard and lifts the experience to a notch above the BMWs and Audi’s of the world. All Jags are built out of their production facility deep in the Warwickshire countryside, and there have been no excessive complaints regarding the XK’s reliability. Jaguar is obviously confident as they’ve upped the service intervals on the car from 10,000 miles to 15,000 miles.

Safety & Security

The obvious desirability factor of a prestige car such as the Jaguar XK has meant that the car comes with intrusion, perimetric and tilt sensing alarm, with battery back up and engine immobiliser. The convertible XK also comes with roll over protection. With no Euro NCAP scores for the XK, nor across the range as Jaguar seemingly refuse to send their cars away to the crash simulation experts, it is impossible to compare against its contemporaries. What we can say is that the front passengers are protected with front and side airbags, and don’t fear about the ones in the back as the space is that tight you’ll never have anyone sat there! The 2010MY model has seen its CATS suspension system replaced with the new Adaptive Dynamics system which means improved, intelligent handling helping to keep the car on the road in all conditions; while Emergency Brake Assist is also standard to help slow the car down in impending crash conditions.

Space & Practicality

Briefly mentioned under Safety and security is the issue of space, or lack of, in the rear of the car. The luxury leather seats are hardly worth the leather used to sculpt them as space is tight with a capital T. Not only is there no legroom unless the front seats are in their maximum forward positions i.e. if the driver is taller than 5’ 6” then forget about sitting behind them; likewise the tapering roofline of the coupe ensure that head space in the rear is equally frugal – a four seat car this isn’t. Ignoring the lack of rear space then things improve greatly with bags of room in the front while the boot capacity of 330l is excellent for its class (the convertible obviously suffers substantially when the roof is folded away!) All two door coupes suffer from a lack of practically, as a two seat tourer the car works exceptionally well, with luxury and performance for two and plenty of boot space for golf clubs and weekends away, however it isn’t a multi-functional vehicle by any stretch of the imagination, and those wanting a useable rear seat space will have to look elsewhere.

Ownership & Value

Prices start at one hundred pounds shy of the £60,000 mark for the 5.0l XK Coupe, with the convertible an extra £6000 on top of that. Coming in above the ‘standard’ XK, and by the way use of the word standard doesn’t for one moment mean that the car is bog standard, far from it, is the Portfolio finish. Available for both the coupe and convertible the Portfolio adds 20” Kalimnos alloy wheels, keyless entry, heated and cooled front seats, and Bowers and Wilkins 525W sound system into the mix, however it also adds an extra £5000 to the price – making the XK Portfolio Convertible cost £70,900. It will also come as no shock to see that the insurance band on the car is at the maximum level of 20E; and currently you can expect to pay £405 a year in road tax (Band M). More prestigious than the BMW 6-series and significantly cheaper than both the Maserati GranTurismo and Audi R8 the Jaguar XK is a beautiful looking car, beautifully made. It may not have the performance of the Audi superstar but for those looking for something a little less ‘flash’ yet still head turning the Jaguar XK is the perfect coupe.

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