If there was a criticism of the previous Jaguar XJ, its yesteryear-aping appearance aside, it’s that its cabin was short on space. Not any more. At least, certainly not in long-wheelbase form, which has ample rear legroom and respectable headroom, and whose front cabin also has sufficient room for the tallest of drivers.
Nevertheless, despite the adequate interior volume, Jaguar has retained the XJ’s cockpit-like feel with a high transmission tunnel which, like those of the XF and current XK, features a rotating gearknob as part of the ‘welcome’ when one starts the car.
The XJ’s driving position is fine and features a particularly well shaped and sized steering wheel, with gearshift paddles to its rear. Ergonomically, this is a fine cabin.
It’s also one that looks the part both at a distance and in detail. Leather and well finished wood adorn most surfaces, and there is a new-to-Jaguar digital dashboard display, in place of conventional analogue dials. Its resolution is fabulously high and there are some neat graphics: speeds closest to the car’s current velocity are highlighted, manual gearchange selection is shown beautifully and the left dial is replaced by a small sat-nav map prompt at times.
However, it serves to make the central touchscreen display poorer than its mediocre resolution and design would otherwise appear, while in a few other places the cabin doesn’t quite come up to scratch; the materials of the air vents and centre console facia, for example, can’t match their appearance. In 2015, the infotainment was upgraded to the far superior InControl Pro unit and features a 360-degree camera.
