First Drive: Salvation Thy Name is Jaguar
Review by David Symons – Photos courtesy Jaguar Canada
Just as I was beginning to think that I’d be hitch-hiking my way along the 401 Highway during my sojourn in Toronto recently, due to some 11th hour ‘complications’ with a certain car manufacturer, the good folks at Jaguar Canada came to my rescue with an offer to meet me at Pearson International Airport with the new 2010 XK Portfolio Edition for me to pilot for the week. Problem solved.
Having made the appropriate call upon arrival and standing on the platform with bags in hand, I was told that the car would be there any minute…and within moments, true to their word, the sleek lines of the XK rounded the corner and came into view. There are often comments made on there being some similarity in appearance to the Aston Martin Vantage…and as I watched it approach in the distance, I was hard-pressed to tell the difference myself. When it got closer, it became apparent that it was, in fact, the vehicle that Jaguar had offered as my steed for the week. One can’t help but feel the envy attached to the glances of fellow travelers when being handed the keys to such a vehicle under the circumstances. This is one sexy looking car.
The first thing that strikes you when climbing behind the wheel of the XK is the exquisitely crafted fit and finish of the interior’s cabin. The white twin stitching on charcoal soft grain Italian leather that covers the dash, seats and side panels speaks to an understated class that is soon found be a common thread running throughout the vehicle. The roof and pillars are covered with a tanned micro-suede that not only looks velvety smooth, but just begs to be stroked. As I glance to the left, I notice myriad seat adjusting knobs and buttons that are well-positioned for ease of use in the upper part of the door panel.
Thereafter, it isn’t long before I feel the relief that comes from being able to adjust (read widen) the otherwise hip-hugging lateral bolsters of the seats. Being a fellow of good girth, this is a welcome discovery indeed. Not necessarily related but equally well received is the seat cooling feature. There’s something kind of decadent about having cold air cooling your backside when driving in the heat of summer… butt I digress.
What next catches the eye is the dial drive gear mechanism that literally pops up upon pushing the red-lit start button….nice. Mirrors adjusted, all that’s left to do is now dial D for drive….and we have liftoff!
There is something about the sound made from the XK’s engine once engaged that invites putting the windows down – if only so that you can better hear the velvet-throated rumble emanating from the exhaust pipes. Before long, as with getting anywhere in TO, you are on the highways, byways and seemingly ‘raceways’ that are the Ontario capital’s trademark.
As I was now hurtling my way along a combination of all of the above en-route to my brother’s house in Mississauga, I thought that I should call ahead to let him know of my imminent arrival. What occurred next was additional testament to the level of craftsmanship given to the assembly of this vehicle. With having the windows open, it was understandably a touch loud for being able to hear any kind of conversation that was about to occur. ‘Rolling up’ the windows however not only made it possible to hear my brother’s welcoming voice through blue-tooth technology…but also induced a hushed quiet that was almost startling, such was the total sealing of the cabin against the cacophony noise of the outside world. As with a number of vehicles in this class, there are ‘back seats,’ but the most practical use for them really would be for carrying a briefcase… or, as was the case later in the week when going to lunch with two business associates, ushering the more ‘vertically challenged’ of them to wedge himself back there – then turning up the fine-sounding Bowers and Wilkins 525W Premium Sound System so that we didn’t have to hear him whimper in pain from having his knees munched against the back side of the front passenger seat. Being 6’2” myself and as previously alluded to, not being slight of build, sitting behind me was not an option.
The experience of piloting this vehicle for the week in Toronto is a very different one than would be had here in Vancouver – the system of roadways in and around Greater Vancouver offering quite pedantic driving by comparison. Driving in the Greater Toronto Area by comparison tends to take on the feel of a Le Mans type racing experience… and provides a far greater variety of driving conditions in which to put this car through its paces. And keep pace it does. The 5.0-litre V8 in the XK Portfolio delivers 385 horsepower, catapulting this well-sculpted beast from 0-to-100 km/h in a time of 5.5 seconds.
Jaguar claims the XK has the lightest shell along with the most torsional stiffness in its class, and given my experience, I wouldn’t dispute it. They have pioneered the use of aerospace technology in producing an all-aluminum monocoque body shell that makes for a markedly lighter car, which in turn helps most every aspect of functional performance. From faster acceleration and improved handling to better stopping and gas mileage, this lighter more-rigid frame pays good practical dividends on a number of fronts. One area where the improved acceleration really comes into play is when launching from one of the hundreds of on-ramps onto one of the aforementioned racew…er, highways….and you need to get up to speed, and I do mean NOW!!! Thankfully, it passed those tests with ease and never did I feel/hear the wrath of one of those 18 wheeler’s air horns ripping along and up behind me. Which is just as well, as if I had toreciprocate with a “…yeah I know-kinda honk” back, it would be downright embarrassing, as the Jag’s horn is one area that definitely needs addressing. It sounds more like something that one would expect to find in a Tata Motors entry-level sub-compact product, certainly not as the ‘voice’ under the hood of any Jaguar badged vehicle. A quibble really…but it begs being mentioned.
Driving the XK with its all-new 6-speed automatic transmission and ‘Jaguar Sequential Shift’ is otherwise a remarkably satisfying experience, as not only does it feel seamless running through the gears, but also quite nimble when called upon to make any lane changing manoeuvres at speed. And with a touch of the JaguarDrive Control button, the system kicks into Dynamic drive mode, which essentially means that it will adapt to holding the gears down longer and firming up the suspension – something that truly brings out the sports car pedigree of the XK in fine fashion. (As a side note: The first XK produced by Jaguar in 1948 was not only a sports car, the ‘XK120’ was also the first pure-bred Jaguar engine, and the world’s first mass production engine with twin-overhead camshafts and hemispherical combustion chambers.) Suffice to say that the engineers of the day would no doubt be smiling at what has become of their progeny. Talk about driving enjoyment. It left happy lines on my face from smiling so much.
The experience of piloting the XK for the week in and around Toronto was not only a very enjoyable one, but was also surprisingly reasonable on the pocket book. Perhaps it was just the cheaper fuel prices that Ontario residents seem to enjoy relative to the folks here in B.C. that made it seem so, but then again, if you’re in the market for a vehicle of this calibre and in this class, chances are the cost of fuel is not really going to top the list of factors entering into your decision making process, and in this case, nor should it be. This is definitely one classy vehicle – 007 should be so lucky.
Specifications: 2009 Jaguar XK Portfolio
Base price (MSRP): ———————————————– $96,500
Engine: —————————————————————- 5.0L V8
Horsepower: —————————- (SAE bhp) @ rpm 385@6,500
Torque (lb-ft): ———————————————- 380@3,500rpm
Gross Vehicle Weight: ——————————– 2075kg /4575lbs
0-100 kph: —————————————————— 5.5 seconds
Transmission: —————————————- 6-speed automatic
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