Jaguar XJL Portfolio AWD

Finally, a cat that can play outside in the winter

Few four seasons cars have been as highly anticipated as the 2013 Jaguar XJL. Chalk it up to the allure of the brand, enhanced by the most appropriate of Jaguar liveries, British racing green. The cabin is flat-out decadent, appointed with beautiful tan leather, stitching, and trim. It’s perhaps the most ostentatious car in our stable and will surely be one of the top choices for attending class reunions and blind dates.

Jaguars have a reputation for lavish furnishings, and we chose a Portfolio model costing $86,470

That may make us sound vain, but this long-wheelbase XJ is noteworthy. It has all-wheel drive and a V-6, two critical elements that rivals like BMW embraced as Jaguar sat on its paws. Now, the XJ can be more competitive in northern climates, matching the all-weather abilities of the Audi A8, the BMW 7-series, and the Mercedes-Benz S-class.

Once we stopped swooning over the XJL, we were left with serious questions. How will the six-cylinder engine measure up? We’re accustomed to V-8s in our Jaguars. This is not just any V-6, though, it’s a 3.0-liter supercharged power-plant pumping out 340 hp and 332 lb-ft.

The cabin is flat-out decadent, appointed with beautiful tan leather, stitching, and trim

Then there’s the all-wheel-drive system. Jaguar hasn’t offered one since the 2002-2008 X-type, which was a black mark for the brand. In normal driving, the system sends most of the torque to the rear axle to maintain a sporty character, yet it can also transfer up to 50 percent of the torque to the front wheels on slippery roads. The AWD system uses a multi-plate wet clutch, which is operated by an ECU that responds to the driver’s inputs.

The AWD system uses a multi-plate wet clutch, which is operated by an ECU that responds to the driver’s inputs

Jaguars have a reputation for lavish furnishings, and we chose a Portfolio model costing $86,470. That’s actually on the low end of the XJ spectrum, as a top-level XJL Ultimate costs $155,895. Our car, however, is loaded, coming with nineteen-inch Toba aluminum wheels with a ten-spoke design, xenon headlights mounted above a string of white LEDs, and the green paint, which cost an extra $1500. The interior is replete with eighteen-way power front seats, a panoramic sunroof, soft-grain leather, a suede like headliner, and a 12.3-inch TFT gauge cluster. The dashboard is laid out attractively and intuitively, and the circular vents convey a sense of old-fashioned, nautical luxury. In addition, because we chose the long-wheelbase model, our back-seat passengers enjoy an extra 5.2 inches of legroom.

Early on, associate editor David Zenlea captured the general sentiment of our staff, calling the XJL “graceful, stylish, comfortable, and enjoyable to drive.” If it continues to live up to that description, we’ll be in for a great year.