SPORTS-CAR PASSION, LUXURY-CLASS VALUE SPARK
1997 JAGUAR MODEL RANGE
Jaguar Cars enters the 1997 model year with three new models targeted at a diverse range of prestige-automobile buyers.
For passionate driving enthusiasts, the all-new XK8 coupe and convertible bring back the exuberant spirit of classic Jaguar sports machines like the legendary E-type and XK 120. Jaguar's newest sedan offering for the United States, the long-wheelbase XJ6 L, meanwhile, aims for value in an elegant wrapping.
"This is a watershed year for Jaguar," said Jaguar Cars North America President Michael H. Dale. "Sharpening our competitive edge in two segments simultaneously demonstrates how thoroughly Jaguar has turned around. The new XK8 offers a combination of refinement and performance that we believe is unmatched by any sports car in the world. And the XJ6 L responds to the strong demand that greeted our long-wheelbase Vanden Plas last year. The 1997 XJ6 L will offer the kind of value that appeals to the growing number of American families in the prestige-automobile segment who appreciate the added rear leg room of Jaguar’s long-wheelbase sedans."
Aggressive pricing permeates the Jaguar strategy for 1997. In the United States, the XJ6 is priced $1,920 below last year’s model, a 2.8 percent decrease on a comparably equipped basis. The XJ6 L is introduced as the lowest-price extended-wheelbase model in the prestige segment.
In Canada, the base price of every Jaguar sedan is reduced. In both countries, prices of the new XK8s fall thousands of dollars below competitors.
Jaguar's New Generation of Sports Cars Arrives
Jaguar’s enthusiasm for the 1997 model year is bolstered by the response to previews of the all-new XK8 on the international auto show circuit, Dale said. "Acclaim from the automotive press and sports-car enthusiasts alike -- this before any detailed technical information or driving reviews appeared in print -- foreshadowed the high level of buyer interest in the new Jaguar."
Jaguar is forecasting sales of approximately 12,000 XK8s worldwide in the first full year of production, with 6,700 destined for the United States and 315 for Canada. Convertibles are expected to comprise 80 percent of sales in the United States and Canada.
As expected of any new Jaguar sports car, the XK8 features leading-edge technology. An advanced new V8 engine, the first ever designed by Jaguar, smoothly delivers 290 horsepower for effortless acceleration. A new five-speed automatic transmission provides refined performance, and Jaguar's sophisticated independent suspension combines a supple ride quality with world-class roadholding.
Like all Jaguars, the cabin of the XK8 is enveloped in wood and the seats are fitted with Connolly leather. For the ultimate in convenience, the convertible top offers one-button operation with automatic power latching, and it can be raised and lowered while the car is traveling at up to 10 miles per hour.
Jaguar's Strategic Response to Trends in the Sedan Market
While the XJ6 continued to prosper as the company's best-selling vehicle in 1996, the strongest growth in Jaguar sales through the model year came with the Vanden Plas model.
The dramatic boost (up 24 percent in the U.S. in the first eight months of 1996) was the result of introducing the long-wheelbase version of this luxuriously appointed sedan. In Canada, the Vanden Plas is Jaguar’s highest-volume model.
With an abundance of room for rear-seat passengers added to already-generous accommodations in the front, the Vanden Plas forged a remarkable success story in 1996. To capitalize on this success in 1997, Jaguar adds the extended-wheelbase version of the XJ6 to the model range in the United States.
The XJR sports sedan, Jaguar's first supercharged model, returns for 1997 with no significant alterations to its successful formula. Like all 1997 Jaguar sedans, the XJR adds a three-point seat belt in the rear center seating position.
Jaguar's Continuing Story of Quality Improvement
"By every measure, Jaguar build quality is at its highest levels ever," Jaguar Cars President Michael H. Dale said. "Our internal test measures, as well as surveys by outside sources, show that the level of reliability of our automobiles now matches the quality that has always been expressed in the leather, wood and unparalleled driving experience of a Jaguar."
Payoffs for the customers include fewer trips to the dealership for repairs, and that contributes to Jaguar’s strong upswing in customer satisfaction ratings. Jaguar reports its sedans experienced a 70 percent reduction in the number of warranty claims per car since 1989.
Sedan Lineup for 1997
The 1997 Jaguar XJ Sedan line comprises four models in the United States: the XJ6 and the supercharged XJR, both built on Jaguar's 113-inch-wheelbase chassis, and the XJ6 L and Vanden Plas on the longer, 117.9-inch wheelbase.
The XJ12 is no longer offered in North America, and the XJ6 L is not sold in Canada.
The XJ6 L nameplate, while new for the 1997 line, is part of the Jaguar heritage. It first was used when a longer-wheelbase model of the original XJ6 was introduced in the 1970s. That car was so successful it became the standard XJ6.
Jaguar XJ Series sedans are recognized around the world for their traditional long, sleek lines -- at once elegant, roomy luxury sedans and sporting drivers' cars. All are fitted with the smooth, powerful, AJ16 aluminum 4.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine. In its naturally aspirated configuration, which powers the XJ6, XJ6 L and Vanden Plas, it produces 245 horsepower.
Standard equipment includes a sunroof, leather interior with wood trim, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats, dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, full climate control, a full-size spare tire and a leaping chrome jaguar on the hood.
A built-in, four-gate garage opener and three-position memory for the driver's seat, steering wheel and door mirrors are standard on the Vanden Plas and XJR and optional on XJ6 and XJ6 L. Twenty-spoke wheels are also standard on the Vanden Plas.
The 1997 Jaguar XJ6 and XJ6 L sedans are visually distinguished by their black-vaned front grillwork.
Jaguar XJR: Successful, Supercharged Sports Sedan Returns
Performance and handling are the forte of Jaguar's first supercharged car, the XJR, which exceeded sales forecasts in its first two years. The supercharged AJ16 engine develops 322 horsepower and 378 pounds feet of torque and it is capable of propelling the car from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in 6.7 seconds.
The XJR has its own specially tuned four-wheel independent suspension and steering and rides on 17-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires.
With its spirited performance capabilities, the XJR gives nothing away in terms of luxury, carrying its occupants in the hushed silence of every Jaguar sedan. Its buyers can choose walnut interior trim in addition to the model's hallmark smoked maple.
The XJR’s long list of standard equipment includes traction control and a premium Harman Kardon sound system with CD changer and sunroof.
XJ6 L and Vanden Plas: Room and Comfort
The longer-wheelbase models provide rear-seat passengers with a comfortable 4.5 inches more leg room. The longer rear doors of the extended-wheelbase XJ6 L and Vanden Plas provide significantly improved access to the bench rear seat.
Additionally, the roof is modified on the longer cars to give an extra half-inch of headroom for both front- and rear-seat occupants while still retaining the beautiful proportions of the standard-wheelbase car.
Engineers accomplished this longer design with only 50 pounds of weight added, and the longer car is just as rigid as the standard-wheelbase version.
Vanden Plas rear-seat passengers have several added comfort and convenience features. They can adjust electrically the position of the front passenger seat, further enhancing leg room and comfort. Control switches are on the backrest of the front passenger seat back and are thus accessible by the driver, as well. They are also provided a cigar lighter and ashtrays, as well as heated seats with controls found in a walnut-trimmed rear center console. And burl walnut tables fold down from the backs of the front seats for the occasional picnic, Jaguar-style.
