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Jaguar has tried with the XK model to move away from its stuffy image. CEO Middle East finds out just how successful it has been.
The voice of the XK is best described in clichés. Fire it up (a keyless smart system, of course) and the engine roars impressively; when stationary it purrs contently; when accelerating it makes a throaty rasp. I immediately like the sound of this car. It is dangerously powerful.
It is also very much a driver's car. Get it out on the open road and it effortlessly eats up the tarmac. Its handling is excellent and it corners sturdily thanks to its low frame and fat, sticky tyres.
The XK doesn't have a dashboard. Oh no. It has a driver information centre, no less, replete with information about every aspect of the car, from the current gear to the tyre pressure.
Gear paddles on the steering wheel make it easy to switch between automatic and manual modes to take control and make full use of the finely tuned engineering.
If you don't want to go to the effort of driving it yourself, it seems that the onboard computer will more or less do it for you (excuse the exaggeration). An electronic ‘brain' learns your driving style and will start to respond to it.
If you're an animated driver, it will inhibit the sixth gear and make fuller use of the lower gears to prevent ‘hunting' between them. If you like to cruise along, sixth will kick back in. And if you get low on fuel, the navigation system will automatically show the nearest petrol stations. Clever stuff.
The exterior has a good shape to it without being groundbreaking (although if it's looks you're after, take a peek at the jazzed up and sportier XKR) and the white finish that the review model came in looked a little trashy when compared to the alternatives. I would venture that it lends itself more to the black colour of its namesake.
Inside, the leather-bound seats are gloriously comfortable and almost infinitely adjustable. A panel of buttons in the door allows you to angle the chair and tinker with the lumbar supports to your heart's desire.
That's the front seats. The back ‘seats' could more accurately be described as extra luggage space - good luck getting anyone, even a child, into them. Not that I imagine the manufacturers are targeting the family market with this model.
If you're investing for the comfort factor rather than the ‘drive', the media centre shouldn't disappoint.
The touchscreen interface is much more attractive and intuitive than that of the XJ and supports all the computer functions - navigation, audio, telephone, climate control, and the rest.
It has a CD multi-changer conveniently situated in the dashboard and is also compatible with a range of MP3 players.
Curiously, the official website blurb claims that the design of the official luggage compartment (‘boot' to the average person) "maximises the length of the rear window, providing excellent rear visibility for the driver".
It's curious because when reversing out of a parking space I couldn't see a thing, thanks to the meaty bodywork obscuring more than a little of the rear view.
It's not perfect, however, the XK is essentially a formidable car. Treat it as a two seater and make the most of the fantastic driving experience. And avoid reversing.
