For years Jaguar has remained the lone holdout when it comes to luxury all-wheel-drive sedans. That changes with the all-new 2013 Jaguar XJ AWD. With the 3.0-liter V6 engine featured in the new F-Type and a new all-wheel-drive system developed with help from the off-road experts at Land Rover, the 2013 XJ AWD looks to expand Jaguar's market share in regions of the United States where weather conditions have thus far eliminated a purely rear-wheel-drive candidate.
Model lineup
There are two all-wheel-drive versions of the new Jaguar XJ in the 2013 model-year lineup. The 2013 XJ AWD comes with 19-inch Aleutian 10-spoke alloy wheels, leather seats, a panoramic moonroof and more. The biggest difference when moving from the XJ AWD to the XJL AWD Portfolio is the five inches of rear-seat legroom through the XJL's longer wheelbase, but it also adds figured ebony veneer trim, 19-inch Toba alloy wheels, and 18-way heated and ventilated leather seats.
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Under the hood
Both 2013 Jaguar XJ AWD versions carry the same 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine. This V6 will get a lot of attention this year in Jaguar's new F-Type sports car, which itself is essentially Jaguar's beefy V8 with two cylinders sawed off and a supercharger added. In the 2013 XJ AWD, the V6 is rated at 340 horsepower, producing 332 lb-ft of torque between 3500 and 5000 rpm.
The biggest new drivetrain feature is Jaguar's Instinctive All-Wheel-Drive system, which measures grip levels and driver inputs, and uses algorithms to cut off rear-tire slippage, sending as much as 100 percent torque to the front or rear wheels as needed in slippery conditions. In dry conditions, the XJ AWD operates akin to a rear-wheel-drive car, starting with a 10-90 power split between the front and rear wheels, respectively. Engaging the Jaguar Drive Control's Winter setting on the 2013 XJ AWD sets the default power distribution to a 30-70 split, while preloading more torque for the front wheels from start-up and optimizing the XJ's systems to maximize traction.
The all-wheel drive is integrated with the 2013 XJ's dynamic stability control and anti-lock brake systems, giving it the ability to increase braking power in individual wheels as needed and effectively ration torque between the left- and right-side wheels. Drivers in the 2013 Jaguar XJ AWD also have access to the Jaguar Drive Control's Dynamic mode. In Dynamic mode the all-wheel-drive system operates as normal — strongly favoring the rear wheels and shifting torque to the front as needed — but the steering becomes a little heavier, the throttle response sharper, and the 8-speed automatic gearbox shifts more quickly and at higher rpm.
