Jaguar Working on All-Wheel-Drive XJ

There is nothing cooler and more imposing than a big Jag’, but for such ‘superficial’ reasons as the lack of a really frugal diesel engine and an all-wheel drive platform, sales of the XJ have always been short of its German rivals. The British carmaker wants to rectify this as soon as possible.

According to a recent AutoCar article, the company is readying an all-wheel drive version of its flagship sedan, which should be ready within two years. The model is clearly aimed at the American market, more specifically the Northern ‘snowbelt States’ where Jaguar has traditional had its strongest sales. A total of 70 percent of all road cars sold there are sending their power to all four wheels, but there’s no reason it won’t do well in the European market as well.

The new powertrain should be ready within 24 months, just in time for the XJ’s mid-life makeover. The famous British carmaker has recently unveiled its new, most fuel efficient engine to date in the form of a 2.2-liter diesel with about 190 horsepower. The four-cylinder engine is currently being tested on the UK’s roads in an XF mule.

The new 16-valve common rail diesel engine displaces 2,179 cc and is installed in a “north-south configuration” for the first time. Advanced technologies making their way under the bonnet include a water-cooled turbocharger with low-friction pistons, new injectors and a new crankshaft.

The introduction of a four-cylinder diesel should hugely increase the car’s market appeal in the Northern ‘snowbelt States’, where 49 percent of cars are sold with four-pot diesels. By comparison, 60 percent of 5-Series BMWs sold there have such engines under the bonnet.