The new XJ introduced very high standards of personal luxury and specification, including an innovative panoramic glass roof as standard and a level of choice in colours, veneers and leathers not seen before in a Jaguar. Four trim levels were offered at launch – Luxury, Premium Luxury, Portfolio and Supersport.

As with its predecessor, the New XJ offered a choice of standard or long wheelbase models, the latter having an extra 125 mm of legroom. At launch, three of Jaguar’s new ultra-efficient Gen III petrol and diesel engines were available in the new XJ – the 3.0-litre 275 PS V6 diesel, 510 PS 5.0-litre supercharged V8 and a 5.0-litre 385 PS naturally aspirated petrol engine. In 2012, 3.0-litre V6 Supercharged and 2.0-litre I4 Turbocharged petrol engines were added to the line-up, the latter primarily for the growing Chinese market. A flagship XJR model was launched in 2013 featuring an uprated 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine producing 550 PS and 680 Nm of torque.

The new XJ featured state-of-the-art technologies including a 12.3-inch high-definition ‘virtual’ instrumentation display to replace conventional dials and a ‘dual-view’ 8-inch touchscreen that enabled driver and front seat passenger to view different content on the screen at the same time. In February 2015, a significant milestone was reached when the one millionth Jaguar XJ to be produced came off the production line at Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich plant – 47 years after the original XJ6 was launched in 1968.