Intent on expanding the competitive appeal of its sedan lineup here in the U.S. and around the world, Jaguar will offer its new Instinctive All-Wheel Drive System as an option on both the 2013 XF and XJ. The automaker showcased the new AWD models in New York City with a snow- and celebrity-enhanced "Chill NY" experience in Manhattan’s High Line Park. The system will be available only teamed with Jaguar’s new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that we previewed here back in April.
Refined by 18 months of road testing, Jag’s new Instinctive All-Wheel Drive System features a performance-oriented rear bias and active torque management that can instantly transfer motive force between the two axles to most effectively counter wheel slip on low-grip surfaces. It will add $3,000 to the price of the Jaguar XF 3.0, $3,500 to the bottom line of the XJ AWD and $2,500 to the price of the long-wheelbase XJL Portfolio.
"The additional choices of V6 engines and all-wheel drive to our Jaguar luxury sedan lineup is massively important to the brand’s business potential here in the United States," noted Andy Goss, President Jaguar Land Rover North America. " In the northern half of the United States more than 80% of our competitors’ luxury sedan sales are all-wheel drive equipped and more than 90% have either all-wheel drive or V6 power. With V6 power and all-wheel drive alongside our high-performance V8 rear-drive models, Jaguar will now be competing in luxury market marketplace that is up to10 times larger and will transform the relevance of this iconic brand in the U.S."
As previously announced, the 2013 Jaguar XF will be fitted with the new 340-horsepower/3.0-liter supercharged V6 in place of the 385-horse/5.0-liter naturally aspirated AJ-V8 used previously. The XF also will be available with a new 240-horsepower/2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder base engine. Essentially the same Ford-developed EcoBoost motivator that appears in the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, it will be backed — as will all other vehicles in both the XF and XJ lines — by a new 8-speed automatic transmission.
Collectively, those powertrain upgrades contribute to an even more attractive pricing schedule for the new year as well as improved EPA numbers. The rear-drive 2013 Jaguar XF 2.0 opens at $47,850 — roughly $6,000 below the least-costly 2012 — and carries a 29-mpg highway number. The new XF 3.0, which starts at $50,875, returns 28 mpg on the open road. While no EPA numbers have been released for Jaguar’s flagship XJ, it will open at $74,075, $500 less than a 2012 with the 5.0L V8. The XJL Portfolio which retains the existing V8 starts at $82,075 with its V6 AWD commencing at $84,575.
In addition to the XJ/XJL Supercharged and Supersport models with their 470-horse/510-horse force-fed V8s, Jaguar will offer a new range-topping 2013 XJL Ultimate model. Only 30 of these 510-horse, limited-run cars will be heading to the U.S., each features semi-analine leather, quad-zone climate control, panorama glass roof and rear seating amenities similar to an executive business jet — including individual reclining heated/cooled/massage seats, touch-screen entertainment system and a cener console with a power-deployable work surface and a beverage chiller. Price of entry for this Ultra Cat will be cool $155,875.
