2016 Jaguar XJ Gets Fresh Style, New Tech

The Jaguar XJ has been given some fresh features for 2016.

A light refresh of the exterior is the most obvious change, with the car now sporting a slightly more upright grille, a new front fascia, new chrome blades in the lower intakes and redesigned bumpers. LED headlights and taillights are now standard across the range, while new oval exhaust tips have been fitted to every model as well.

Many of the updates are meant to help differentiate XJ models. The XJR now comes standard with a black trim package which adds a dark front grille, lower air intake surrounds and black window surrounds. A new R-Sport model is joining the lineup and can be picked out thanks to its added aerodynamics package.

To stand out from the sportier models, both the XJL Portfolio and XJL Supercharged now come standard with quilted seats finished with a diamond sewn pattern. Those seats are all 14×14-way adjustable power seats with 4-way lumbar support.

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Infotainment is updated across the XJ lineup, with all of the cars receiving Jag’s new InControl Touch Pro system. It is housed on an eight-inch touchscreen mounted in the center console and comes with a 60GB solid-state drive along with new features such as a new commute mode which will learn your daily commute and suggest alternatives based on real-time traffic and construction info. Jag says that its new system is more like a smartphone than a traditional infotainment setup.

Jaguar XJ buyers will now be treated to a standard 825-watt, 17-speaker Meridian stereo system. For those that want even more audio performance, the car can be had with a 26-speaker, 1,300W system.

When it comes to the driving experience, Jaguar has made a few adjustments. First, the brand has switched to an electric power steering setup over the existing hydraulic system. Jag’s new all-surface progress control is now available on the XJ, ensuring that the wheels will not slip when taking off on low-traction surfaces. The adaptive cruise control system has also been updated with queue assist which will handle throttle and braking in heavy traffic.

Other driver assist features include closing vehicle sensing, reverse traffic detection, 360° surround camera system and semi-automated perpendicular and parallel-parking (RWD Only).

Power for the car still comes from the same two engines, either a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with 340 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque or a larger 5.0-liter supercharged V8 offered in two states of tune, one with 470 hp and the other with 550 hp.

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