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Jaguar redesigns classy XJ6 Vanden Plas, lavish luxury sedan
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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A stunningly sleek sedan, parked in prominent position on a plaza overlooking the famed Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, attracted envious glances from sidewalk shoppers.
The car, tinted to a sophisticated British green, stretched to an extravagant length yet spread so wide and stood so low that it seemed to hunker against the pavement like a sports car ready to dash off in a metallic blur. Sunlight, breaking through clouds on a warm spring afternoon, bounced off brilliant chrome of the intricate grille, but also spotlighted a decorative hood ornament which resembled a jungle cat leaping forward off the nose.
"What is that gorgeous thing?" One spectator asked, captivating in a single word -- gorgeous -- the latest sedan design from Britain's classic coachmaker, Jaguar.
Thus, Jaguar's new XJ6 Vanden Plas, primed with powerful horsepower and laced with extravagant interior features, debuted along ritzy Fifth Avenue in advance of the 1995 New York Auto Show.
All sheetmetal sections of this car were reshaped in dramatically smooth contours which look progressive yet still hint at the classic shapes of Jaguars from an earlier era. Signature sets of two round headlamps, offset by horizontal lines of the bold chrome grille, mark the prow, which sets up flowing lines sweeping rearward across the flat roof to a unique tapered tail.
It's long enough to measure up to full-size dimensions, although the broad and low stance makes this big sedan seem slinky and aggressive.
Inside, modifications for Jaguar's sedan series include a new curved design for the dashboard and enough comfort fittings to outfit the palace of an English peer. Now owned by Ford Motor Company, Jaguar has made significant strides in recent years to provide quality automotive construction coated with every conceivable luxury.
This cat can also perform agile pavement maneuvers.
Beneath that extended hoodline lurks one of three powerful engine options, plus the type of handling hardware you'd expect to encounter on a lively German touring car. As a result, the newest Jag leaps into action at the tap of your toe, then can zip up the straights, rip down the washboard hard stuff without so much as a hint of roughness and run tight circles around lesser sedans in turn sets.
To be candid, I wasn't prepared for such athletic prowess from such a big car. In fact, I didn't particularly relish the week I had committed to test a Vanden Plas.
Dated, bulky, lethargic: These were the preconceived images I brought into that test.
Yet when the time came to surrender it at the end of my week, experience behind the wheel had drastically altered these notions. Instead, I would describe the personality of this revised Jaguar as aggressive, vigorous, powerful.
Its energetic action and nimble road manners come from some serious horsepower and an array of active suspension, steering and handling systems concealed beneath all that sensuous sheetmetal.
The 4-wheel independent suspension setup draws from a double wishbone design with coil springs, separate telescopic shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar installed in front and back.
Ride quality feels living-room smooth -- and library quiet, preserving hallmarks of Jaguar to isolate road noise and roughness, then tune out the outside world.
Yet the structural concepts for this cat's suspension stem directly from Jaguar's experience in constructing agile racing machines. Like racers, this one can cut a quick corner and hold a hard line through some complicated movements, while still managing to dampen the bumps and silence any pavement chatter.
Speed-sensitive variable-assist power rack and pinion steering and 4-wheel disc brakes with computerized anti-lock controls enhance the sporty feel.
Test its throttle response, and this Jag jumps ahead.
Its basic power unit, an aluminum block with 4-valve pent roof combustion chamber and twin camshafts on top, displaces 4.0 liters with six cylinders arranged in a line.
Horsepower climbs to 245.
A smooth-shifting German automatic 4-speed transmission connects to this engine. It employs an intricate shift gate which isolates various gear positions so you may, in effect, shift it yourself without clutching, if desired.
This powertrain appears in Jaguar's base sedan, the XJ6, and the Vanden Plas.
Two other editions receive special horsepower upgrades.
The first of these, XJR, contains a supercharged variation of the Vanden Plas engine that boosts output to a lustful 322 hp. In addition, this sport sedan provides traction control, a limited-slip differential, firmer suspension settings, plus 17-inch wheels and tires.
An ultimate Jaguar sedan, XJ12, begins with Vanden Plas luxury trappings but stirs in upgraded leather upholstery and a special Harman-Kardon audio package with trunk-mounted compact disc changer. Then, shoehorned beneath the hood, Jaguar's renowned 6.0-liter aluminum V12 engine lurks with a rating of 313 hp.
Step inside any one of Jaguar's new sedans and let all those lavish appointments spoil you rotten.
Tasteful expanses of polished burled walnut decorate the interior of the Vanden Plas, covering sections of doors, dash and console. In addition, soft leather stretches in liberal applications across seats and sides, while bright chrome highlights accessories like handles and knobs.
Jaguar's design team revamped the interior arrangement this year with ergonomics in mind for improved placement of all controls, handles and dials.
Every item appears in perfect location now, and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes electrically when the driver activates the engine. It moves automatically through pre-set positions to where you like it best.
The Vanden Plas, an enhanced version of the base XJ6, contains heated front seats, driver's seat memory unit, a power sunroof -- even folding picnic tables of burled walnut for back seat riders.
The price chart for Jaguar's new sedans begins at $53,450 for XJ6. Vanden Plas jumps to $62,200, and the supercharged XJR comes to $65,000, while figures for the ultimate XJ12 run to $77,250 and beyond.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1995 JAGUAR XJ6 VANDEN PLAS Specs |
| Description: |
Full-size luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Full-size luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
113.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
197.8 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 4.0-L I-6
DOHC 4.0-L I-6 Super
SOHC 6.0-L V12
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
4.0: 17/23 mpg
4.0S: 15/21 mpg
6.0: 12/16 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 54,000 to $ 80,000 |
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