Auto Car | Jaguar XK 2007 | "Oh, that I have lived to own this car," gushed one of CNET's more effusive readers in response to our first take of the 2007 Jaguar XK Coupe. It is difficult not to share this enthusiasm. Originally envisioned as a convertible, the redesigned, all-aluminum 2007 XK is heartbreakingly gorgeous. Flared rear haunches, a short snout, and an arcing hood that goes on forever combine to give the XK a character of brawny elegance. Under the hood, an all-aluminum 300-horspeower naturally aspirated V-8 engine enables the Big Cat to purr along in the fast lane, while Jaguar's eCATS electronic suspension gives it impeccable road manners on the twistiest of roads.
Inside, the 2007 XK combines classic comfort with updated cabin tech, with burled walnut and soft-grain leather surrounding an as-standard touch-screen navigation system. Other tech highlights include Bluetooth hands-free calling, which failed to work in our test model, and a screen-based rear parking meter. The XK's standard audio system fails to live up to the car's high-end refinements--or its price tag. Our tester came with the leather-and-wood Luxury Package ($3,300) and the Advanced Technology Package ($2,500), comprising adaptive cruise control and adaptive front headlights. With a base price of $74,835 and a $665 handling fee, our 2007 XK purred off the lot for $81,300.
The 2007 Jaguar XK is a two-seat sports car in four-seater clothing. The only passengers who will be able to fit in the back will have to be in baby seats, and even that will be a squeeze if the driver or front passenger is more than six feet tall. Headroom is equally limited in the front, and if it were not for the XK's 16-way power-adjustable seats, we would have spent our week with the car nursing a cricked neck. The reason for the lack of space is that the XK is a low (52 inches), and relatively lightweight (3,671 lbs.) car; the EPA even classifies it as a "subcompact" for fuel economy purposes.
When finally installed in the cozy cockpit of the XK, things get a little more comfortable. Interior trim is in keeping with Jaguar's luxury reputation: burled walnut veneer, the aforementioned power seats, and a wood-and-leather-trimmed shifter came as part of our car's $3,300 Luxury Package. Amid the classical interior details are plenty of cabin tech features to differentiate the 2007 XK from its predecessors. The most conspicuous of these is a red Start push-button set into the wood-trimmed center console, which allows drivers to fire up the XK without removing the key fob from their pockets.
The XK's navigation system has been overhauled and updated since we evaluated it in the 2006 Jaguar XKR, and we found its high-resolution maps (in full or split screen) and turn-by-turn voice guidance accurate and quick to help us out when we missed our highway exit--one of the perils of driving permanently in the left-hand lane.
Destinations can be programmed by all of the usual means (address/point of interest/coordinates) as well as by a neat feature in the touch screen that enables navigators to use directional arrows to scroll through an overhead map of the immediate area. While the LCD navigation screen is slightly bigger and brighter than that in the '06 XKR, we still have a few issues with its visibility; it is sunk a few inches into the dash, which makes it unnecessarily difficult to see from an angle.
Inside, the 2007 XK combines classic comfort with updated cabin tech, with burled walnut and soft-grain leather surrounding an as-standard touch-screen navigation system. Other tech highlights include Bluetooth hands-free calling, which failed to work in our test model, and a screen-based rear parking meter. The XK's standard audio system fails to live up to the car's high-end refinements--or its price tag. Our tester came with the leather-and-wood Luxury Package ($3,300) and the Advanced Technology Package ($2,500), comprising adaptive cruise control and adaptive front headlights. With a base price of $74,835 and a $665 handling fee, our 2007 XK purred off the lot for $81,300.
The 2007 Jaguar XK is a two-seat sports car in four-seater clothing. The only passengers who will be able to fit in the back will have to be in baby seats, and even that will be a squeeze if the driver or front passenger is more than six feet tall. Headroom is equally limited in the front, and if it were not for the XK's 16-way power-adjustable seats, we would have spent our week with the car nursing a cricked neck. The reason for the lack of space is that the XK is a low (52 inches), and relatively lightweight (3,671 lbs.) car; the EPA even classifies it as a "subcompact" for fuel economy purposes.
When finally installed in the cozy cockpit of the XK, things get a little more comfortable. Interior trim is in keeping with Jaguar's luxury reputation: burled walnut veneer, the aforementioned power seats, and a wood-and-leather-trimmed shifter came as part of our car's $3,300 Luxury Package. Amid the classical interior details are plenty of cabin tech features to differentiate the 2007 XK from its predecessors. The most conspicuous of these is a red Start push-button set into the wood-trimmed center console, which allows drivers to fire up the XK without removing the key fob from their pockets.
The XK's navigation system has been overhauled and updated since we evaluated it in the 2006 Jaguar XKR, and we found its high-resolution maps (in full or split screen) and turn-by-turn voice guidance accurate and quick to help us out when we missed our highway exit--one of the perils of driving permanently in the left-hand lane.
Destinations can be programmed by all of the usual means (address/point of interest/coordinates) as well as by a neat feature in the touch screen that enables navigators to use directional arrows to scroll through an overhead map of the immediate area. While the LCD navigation screen is slightly bigger and brighter than that in the '06 XKR, we still have a few issues with its visibility; it is sunk a few inches into the dash, which makes it unnecessarily difficult to see from an angle.
Source : reviews.cnet.com
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