2007 Jaguar XK First Drive

Be honest: You look at the spec page of the 2007 Jaguar XK and wonder how it is that Jaguar dare sell an outmatched powertrain that barely scrabbles into 300 horsepower territory. Hah – that’s what you know. Put down the latest issue of Motor Trend and take a drive in a car that proves, once and for all, that it’s the total experience that really counts. This new Jag is sharper, faster and much more fun, a car that will win many a fan after a spirited test drive.

The 2007 Jaguar XK is the kind of car that stretched us, adapted to the input provided and kept us interested, while in motion or parked, as looking at the XK is interesting in and of itself. Especially the coupe, which has strong shoulders, taut lines and sultry sweeps of sheetmetal that encase the occupant in an interior that is what one would expect from Jaguar. The control layout is easy to use, and there’s plenty of shoulder, hip and elbow room. For such a nice interior, then, it was a surprise that we encountered some unexpected road and wind noise. It’s important to note that the asphalt in South Africa is of varying quality, from smooth to rutted and grooved, and offers more extremes between the two than most areas – new roads are impeccable, old roads are disasterous. – Also, the cars we drove were right-hand-drive prototypes. Take a test drive in a production model and make your own assessment. The convertible handled road noise better, though it’s hard to tell if that was due to the differing roads and tire sizes.

There is one noise created by the XK that’s not at all hard to decipher, however: the burble of its engine. The note serves as alluring background music for the XK, especially when driving the convertible, and provides a hint of what’s driving those wheels. True, the XK has a soft top while some competing models offer a retractable hardtop, but for a soft top, the profile is gorgeous – though compared to the coupe, the convertible loses considerable sex appeal. The top offers excellent sound and vibration control. Besides, you’ll want the top down, as the XK is a better tourer or sports coupe with the roof removed, depending on how you drive it. We drove it both ways, and the XK was quite adept either way. With the top down, we cruised for miles along the South African coast, content to sit back and take in soaring cliffs that collided with crashing waves, sweeping panoramas that touched upon utter desolation and natural beauty unlike any, anywhere else in the world. Top down, hair streaming and sun shining, the XK served as the perfect companion in a place of intrigue, beauty and power.

It almost sounds like we’re talking about the car. And maybe we are, and maybe it’s both, especially when you climb into the coupe. The difference: the convertible is sensational, the coupe sensual. The convertible is meant for carefree Saturdays and beautiful sunsets, with little to no interference from the car save for that exhaust note. The coupe is for climbing empty mountain roads, for going fast and flailing a car that submits with a growl and gives the road as good as it gets from you. So that’s what we did: we flew down long and lazy countryside roads inland of Capetown, urging the powertrain onward. With each request, the XK responded smoothly, engine rushing to meet the demand, paddle shifts lightning fast. The 20-inch tires rarely complained, and all the while, the Jaguar’s suspension system took in the bumps and imperfections of the road and translated each into usable feedback. We carved into steep mountain passes and kept our composure, trusting in the planted feel of the car, its precise steering, and brakes that didn’t fade or distract with unnecessary pedal play.

As we went, passersby stopped and stared, giving thumbs up and waving. Most of them probably didn’t know what kind of car it was, but no matter: the XK translates in any language, any culture. Stopping in small and dusty Greyton Township, the Jaguar was a large scale phenomenom, with crowds milling, pointing and gawking. All were smiling.
We were too; for it became obvious within a hundred miles that the XK brought out the automotive lover in everyone, from journalist and photographer to farmhand and child. That’s a bit unexpected from the Jaguar of today, as is the XK’s impressive driving character. The transmission gets the most from the XK’s 4.2-liter V8 – slide the gear selector into DS, click a paddle and you’re at the controls of a car featuring quick gear changes and technology that adapts to your shifting patterns. Put the XK back in D and you can sit back and let the transmission do the work, with more conservative changes, the kind you would expect from a grand touring machine. Bolted into the XK’s all-aluminum construction, the transmission drives a car that is stiff and responsive on the road, communicating mostly in the steering wheel and the seat. Coupe or convertible, the XK is a lithe, neatly planted sports tourer that responds to the driver’s touch with enough power and torque to be entertaining and a ride and handling quality that keeps you comfortable.

Experienced drivers should put the XK into TRAC DSC mode, as it provides a far more enjoyable experience, which we learned during a session of aggressive track driving. Though traction control plays a positive role in terms of safety, it’s exhilarating to toss a car like the XK around a track with the safety systems off to really learn what the car can do. The six-speed transmission’s adaptive quality is especially noticeable on the track. First time around the course, we got a throttle blip coming out of a corner, because the transmission held a higher gear through the turn then kicked the XK into a lower gear for more power. After a few times around the track in the same car, though, the transmission proved to be a quick learner, and those throttle blips kept the power coming just when we wanted it, with no delay. Unfortunately, most people’s driving patterns are comparatively conservative – commutes, weekend drives and such – so the adaptive quality of the transmission will probably go largely unnoticed.