Ian Callum

Just a week after announcing limited-run 400 Sport versions of the XE and XF, Jaguar has unveiled the XJ50, a special edition to celebrate half a century of flagship sedans from the Big Cat. Power will come from a choice of 3.0-litre petrol or 3.0-litre diesel engines, making 250kW and 221kW respectively. The 0-100km/h sprint takes 5.9 seconds in the petrol, or 6.2 seconds in the diesel. Supercharged V8 power remains the preserve of the XJR575 for the moment.

Jaguar has dismissed suggestions the XJ sedan could be usurped by an SUV at the pinnacle of the range. Design boss, Ian Callum, told Autocar the XJ would remain the brand flagship, even if a 'J-Pace' SUV were to be added to the range. “An SUV was discussed but it’s not the mainstay of the brand,” Callum told Autocar. “There’s more sophistication for a flagship due to its origins and that’s Land Rover.”

Jaguar design director Ian Callum has created an entire family of vehicles based on the new Jaguar XE in the hope that the range will expand beyond the original sedan. “Put it this way: I know what a wagon would look like, I know what a coupe would look like … and I know what a long-wheelbase would look like,” Callum said at the Paris motor show.