Jaguar teases electric XJ during Land Rover Defender debut
Company CEO Ralf Speth confirms the next-generation XJ will use an electric powertrain.
This is our first real glimpse of Jaguar's next-generation XJ.
For Jaguar Land Rover , the highlight of the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show was the long-awaited debut of the new Defender SUV. But that wasn't the only big announcement during the company's press conference on Tuesday.
Just before Jaguar revealed the brand-new Defender, a teaser image of the next-generation Jaguar XJ appeared on screen. Jaguar's flagship sedan went out of production in July, but we knew a successor -- an electric one -- was in the works.
"Our engineering team is in full swing to deliver the world's first, full-electric luxury sports saloon, the flagship of Jaguar, the all-new XJ," Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth said, according to Auto Express.
It's unclear exactly when the new XJ will debut, but Jaguar's all-electric flagship could arrive before any real competition hits the market. Mercedes-Benz debuted the Vision EQS showcar that previews a fully electric, full-size sedan, but otherwise, competitors such as Audi , BMW and Lexus haven't made solid commitments to launching an EV of this shape and size.
The last time we tested the XJ, it was in XJR575 guise, powered by a 575-horsepower, supercharged 5.0-liter V8. The new XJ will be a drastic departure from this XJR575 in terms of powertrain. But we expect it to be just as big and luxurious and, perhaps most importantly, better suited for the future.
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