The Jaguar XF sedan and Jaguar XJ limo will gain all-wheel-drive variants as part of a 2013 model year update, though Australian buyers will miss out as the models are being produced for left-hand-drive markets only.
Jaguar says the AWD XF and XJ are focussed “on consumer demand in colder climates such as the US, Russia and Europe”.
The AWD system is paired with only one drivetrain for both vehicles – a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine that also forms part of the model upgrades and has its 250kW of power distributed to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
An engine stop-start system is included to help improve fuel efficiency.
The company says its cars are inherently rear-wheel drive and has calibrated the AWD system so torque distribution, in dry conditions, is biased towards the back wheels up to 50 per cent.
The AWD system is continuously variable, constantly monitoring available grip and driver inputs, with a transfer case control module reacting to any slippage between the front and rear axles.
For take-offs, however, torque is pre-emptively delivered to the front wheels to assist with traction.
Jaguar says it spent 18 months developing the system in the sub-zero temperatures of Arjeplog in northern Sweden on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
The last AWD Jaguar to be sold in Australia was the compact X-Type.