The current Jaguar XJ will turn 10 years old in July
and that’s an eternity in a highly competitive segment which is increasingly
focused on giving consumers the latest and greatest technology. Jaguar will reportedly
launch an electric XJ which uses technology from the I-Pace. According to Car
Magazine, the new model will shift its attention away from the Audi A8, BMW
7-Series and Mercedes S-Class and instead become a competitor for the Audi
e-tron GT, Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S.
The publication goes on to say the next XJ should
ride on the new MLA platform. Jaguar Land Rover teased the Modular Longitudinal
Architecture last summer and it has been designed to accommodate an assortment
of different powertrains including internal combustion engines, mild / plug-in
hybrid systems as well as electric powertrains.
Specifications should be taken with a grain of salt,
but Car suggests the next XJ could have a 90 kWh or 100 kWh battery pack and
four electric motors that each produce up to 200 hp. This
would give the all-wheel drive model an impressive output of up to 800 hp.
Little else is known about the car, but Jaguar
design director Ian Callum has previously said the next XJ won’t be a
traditional three-box sedan. He has also suggested the car could be smaller
than its predecessor and it will be something “people wanna get into and
drive.”
