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DRIVEN: Jaguar Updates XK With Power and Style
New 5-liter V-8, suspension control boost performance of British sports convertible.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted November 10, 2009   Phoenix, AZ
Jaguar XK gets a mild facelift for 2010, but the real news is under the hood. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
Jaguar XK came back for 2010 mildly restyled but with a whole new attitude. Still refined, still beautiful. But with an added dose of ferocity.

Sharply upgraded V8 engines are now found under the bonnets of the XK and its high-performance sibling, XKR. Both V8s displace 5 liters instead of the previous engines’ 4.2 liters, and each gets a healthy boost in horsepower and torque.

For the XK, horsepower is lifted to 380 from 300, while the supercharged XKR goes up to a snorting 510 from 420. Torque moves up proportionally for both.

In the XK convertible that I drove, the effect is immediate and well-appreciated, transforming the sporty GT into a more-aggressive beast that moves out with authority while emitting a feral howl.

The new XK's performance is impressive, but it's still more of a GT than a sports car. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
I spent some time with a 2009 XKR earlier this year, much to my pleasure, and concluded that it could use a dose more horsepower to be competitive with other mighty performance cars in this price range. Now it has the muscle, and I’d be interested in trying it out again.

The base XK still comes off as a long-legged GT for cross-country driving, or an urban cruiser for sophisticated profiling, rather than an all-out sports car. XKR is more taut and maneuverable but still tends toward the GT side.

In its updated body style, XK has a real presence that sets it apart from the crowd. The curves of its flanks and fenders are lush and sensual, compared with the crisp creases and angles of today’s sporty cars.

This is the latest XK in a series reaching back 62 years, from the 1948 XK120, through the acclaimed XK-E, the XKS, XK8 and now, simply XK. Tradition runs strong through its body style and interior accommodations, making the latest XK both modern and evocative.

Most of the revisions for 2010 are up front, with larger lower grille and spoiler, and vertical vents slashed into the corners. LED taillights brighten up the rear.

The new XK continues its hallmark all-aluminum construction for lightness and a torsional stiffness that Jaguar says is best in class. That equates to enhanced ride quality and handling.

But those luxury appointments and such add up, so the XK is certainly no lightweight at nearly 4,000 pounds. That’s part of why no one should expect the Jag to perform like a raw-edged sports car.

Also new this year is an adaptive suspension system that continuously controls shock-absorber stiffness, depending on road conditions and driver inputs for more precise handling as well as a smoother ride. Called Adaptive Dynamics, it replaces Jaguar’s CATS system.

The new package feels sportier and more developed than the previous XK, and it loses none of the upper-crust aura that the definitive Jaguar of today is meant to project.

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Bob Golfen

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