Despite not being spotted in the wild as of yet, Jaguar is indeed working on the eventual replacement for the current XJ flagship sedan. While key details are still being kept close to the hilt, Jaguar’s chief design guru Ian Callum has decided to reveal some preliminary details in an interview with the folks at Car Advice at the Geneva Motor Show.
During the fore-mentioned interview, Callum revealed that the next generation XJ will grow in size to help enhance cabin space. This is obviously a response to criticism about the cramped confines for occupants, especially rear passengers that have long suffered from outrageously bad headroom. As expected from a proper flagship, the XJ will also usher in new technology, though admittedly we are at a loss as to what it would bring to the table considering that the Velar ushered in a new infotainment system, and the I-Pace is heralding a green future for the storied British marque.
As far as rivals go, Callum made it clear that unlike prior iterations of the XJ, the next generation will not be directly targeting the Mercedes S-Class in the marketplace. Callum claims that this is due to the S-Class focusing on pure luxury versus the sportiness card that will be wielded by the Jaguar. In our opinion, look for the world to still compare the two together anyway, regardless of Jaguar’s claims to the contrary.
Buyers looking to add the next generation model to their garage will have to be very patient in doing so. While Jaguar did admit that its next major launch will in fact be the next generation XJ, the current pace of development as well as Jaguar’s other projects suggests that the model could make its appearance towards the end of the decade. This would mean that the current generation XJ will have to solider on in its current form for 11 years before it gets retired. This is an enormous amount of time for any model, and is outright glacier-esque in the hotly contested luxury car segment.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.