Besides revealing its luxurious Ultimate XJ, Jaguar also revealed a brace of compact new engines destined for the XJ, XF and the eagerly anticipated F-Type.
The big news surrounds a new supercharged 3,0-litre V6 petrol engine earmarked for the company’s XF, XJ and F-Type models. This unit reportedly shares some of its DNA with Jaguar’s existing normally aspirated 5,0-litre V8 – namely technologies such as an aluminium construction, direct fuel injection and variable-valve timing.
It will be available in two states of tune: a 250 kW/450 N.m version that is reportedly capable of propelling the XF or XJ from standstill to 100 km/h in around 5,7 seconds and a 280 kW/460 N.m version touted as the means of propulsion for the F-Type, which will attack the gap between Porsche’s Boxster and 911 models when it’s launched towards the middle of 2013.
At the other end of the scale, Jaguar has also announced a four-cylinder unit for the XJ. Basically a mildly tweaked version of Ford’s EcoBoost 2,0-litre engine, it develops 176 kW and 340 N.m of torque. It will be coupled with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and is set to replace the normally aspirated 3,0-litre V6 currently doing service in both the XF and XJ.
Hybrid versions of both the six- and four-cylinder engines are reportedly in the works and will borrow technology from Land Rover.
Jaguar also used the Beijing Motor Show as an opportunity to showcase its latest long-wheelbase version of the XJ. Dubbed the XJ Ultimate, it features individual back chairs with electrical adjustment and massage function, iPads for both rear passengers complete with wireless headphones and a centre console featuring a solid aluminium business table, storage for champagne flutes and a cooler for said bubbly.
