Jaguar has launched a locally manufactured petrol powered version of its flagship saloon - XJ, priced at Rs.93.24 lakhs (ex-showroom Mumbai, pre-octroi).

The car will be powered by an i4 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol motor producing 237 bhp @ 5500 RPM and maximum torque of 340 Nm @ 1750 RPM; mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. For those curious about the mileage, this car manages to return an ARAI certified figure of 9.4 km/l.

This model will be available in the LWB Portfolio trim. As expected out of a car of this class, the XJ comes loaded with features such as electrically adjustable rear seats with massage function in three intensity settings, increased rear headroom, rear seat entertainment with two 25.9 cm (10.2) LCD screens, electric rear side window blinds, soft door close, 825 Watt Meridian surround audio system, LED reading lights in the rear and newly designed business tables in the rear.

Jaguar has been taking steps to price the XJ more competitively and recently had introduced a locally assembled version of the 3.0L diesel XJ sedan to take on the Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and the BMW 7-series.

The XJ is the flagship luxury saloon in British car maker Jaguar's range and this car is now available with a 2 liter turbo petrol engine in the Indian car market. The 2 liter EcoBoost turbo petrol engine supplied by Ford outputs 237 Bhp of peak power and 340 Nm of peak torque. Notably, Ford owned Jaguar and Land Rover, before the two British marques were sold to Indian automaker Tata Motors in 2008. 

Even after the Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR) sale to Tata Motors, the British car makers continue to use Ford engines in their line ups. This said, Jaguar-Land Rover is developing a new range of petrol and diesel engines under the Tata Motors management. The new crop of engines will power future products and are expected to be eventually adopted onto existing JLR range of cars.

The 2 liter EcoBoost turbo petrol engine is one such motor. This petrol engine uses turbo charging and direct injection to deliver high power and torque from a small cubic capacity. Apart from the Jaguar XJ L, this very motor is used on the best selling Range Rover Evoque as well.  The 2 liter-4 cylinder turbo petrol engine powering the Jaguar XJ long wheelbase is mated to an 8 speed automatic transmission, which drives the rear wheels of the car. 

The Jaguar XJ L achieves the 100 Kph mark from standstill in 7.5 seconds while top speed is rated at 225 Kph. By adding the 2 liter turbo petrol engine to the XJ L model, Jaguar plans to position the car at a lower price point. Imported into India through the completely built unit (CBU) route, the Jaguar XJ L's least priced variant thus far is the 3 liter-V6 supercharged petrol engined model, which is priced at 1.3 crore rupees.

AutocarIndia reports that the Jaguar XJ with the smaller, 2 liter turbo petrol engine will be priced at an ex-showroom Delhi price of 1.16 crore rupees. Apart from the engine change, the XJ L is said to offer the same level of luxury as the other variants. The entry level Jaguar could be targeted primarily at hotel fleets, who are known to buy base petrol models of luxury cars. The Jaguar XJ sold in India is available with three other engine options. 

The car's other engines include a 3 liter-V6 turbo diesel engine, and two supercharged other petrol engines: a 3 liter V6 unit and a top-of-the-line 5 liter V8 unit. All engines get the 8 speed automatic gearbox-rear wheel drive layout as standard. Competition for the Jaguar XJ comes from the likes of the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes Benz S-Class luxury saloons.