New Jaguar XJ Wins Prestigious Professional Driver Car of the Year Title

GAYDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Sept 6, 2010: The exciting new Jaguar XJ has won the prestigious 2010 Car of the Year award from Professional Driver magazine, rating it as the top car for Britain’s chauffeurs and Private Hire drivers.

To receive the overall Car of the Year accolade, the winning XJ – a 3.0-Litre V6 Diesel Long Wheelbase model – not only defeated its nearest rivals in the closely-contested Chauffeur Car of the Year category, but it also gained the highest average score of the four individual award winners.

The annual Professional Driver awards are judged by more than thirty expert judges from the chauffeuring and Private Hire sector and the motoring media. Each vehicle is rated on 10 different criteria considered most important for professional drivers, ranging from appearance and driving dynamics, to rear seat comfort and legroom.

“The new Jaguar XJ makes a statement that none of its rivals can match,” said Mark Bursa, editor of Professional Driver Magazine. “The judges loved the XJ’s looks, its beautiful and distinctive interior and outstanding driving dynamics.”

With the highest overall points score of the 33 vehicles entered, the Jaguar XJ 3.0-Litre V6 Diesel Long Wheelbase was rated the best car for professional drivers, outscoring competitors like Mercedes S350 LWB and BMW 730Ld, last year’s winner.

The Jaguar XF was also rated highly by the judges, finishing in the top three of the competitive Executive Car category.

Geoff Cousins, Managing Director, Jaguar UK, said: “Professional drivers have very high standards and expect the best in their choice of car. The new Jaguar XJ has brought a bold new approach to the executive car market in the UK with its distinctive design, generous accommodation and impressive predicted residual values. Winning this important award isn't just about recognising how impressive the new Jaguar XJ is, it also reflects how competitive our new class-leading Chauffeur Programme support package is.

“With our comprehensive support programme, which provides a class-leading combination of round-the-clock support and minimised running costs, Jaguar is now in a strong position to challenge the established contenders in the chauffeur market.”

Class-Leading Chauffeur Support Package
The Jaguar Chauffeur Programme offers licenced chauffeurs a range of unique benefits which includes a like-for-like replacement vehicle in the event of a mechanical breakdown during the warranty period, tailored hire and reward insurance with a £500 first year insurance contribution, fault and non-fault accident management cover, one year's free membership to the global Quintessentially Jaguar concierge service, priority servicing and repairs, plus flexible finance options.

When combined with the enhanced Jaguar support package, the new XJ’s attractive residual values, low carbon footprint and distinctive appearance make it a compelling choice for professional drivers.

Research carried out by industry experts CAP Monitor predicts that the new XJ will have highly competitive residual values over the next three years, resulting in reduced cost of ownership.2

Running costs are further minimised by the vehicle’s unique lightweight aluminium structure, which not only contributes to lower fuel consumption when driving, but also significantly reduces the car’s overall carbon footprint. The use of 50 per cent recycled aluminium in the bodyshell saves around three tonnes of CO2 in the manufacture of each vehicle, before the car has even turned a wheel.

Businesses will also benefit from the added appeal of the Jaguar XJ’s bold, fresh design, which will undoubtedly attract passengers from more traditional chauffeur vehicles.

The dramatic exterior conceals an impressively roomy cabin: the Long Wheelbase model provides passengers with a full metre of rear legroom and ample headroom, while the 520-litre boot can comfortably accommodate two large suitcases and a full set of golf clubs.

Maximised Productivity and Cost-Effectiveness
The new Chauffeur Programme is available to Jaguar XJ and XF customers, and offers licenced operators a range of unique benefits to maximise the productivity and cost-effectiveness of their vehicle. The support package includes:

A like-for-like replacement vehicle – minimise downtime with a like-for-like replacement vehicle in the event of a mechanical breakdown during the vehicle warranty period. Vehicles will also be PCO3 licenced for London based chauffeurs

Jaguar Chauffeur Insurance – tailored hire and reward insurance available through Jaguar Cars Finance with a £500 insurance contribution for the first year of the policy – peace of mind and a significant saving for chauffeur businesses

Jaguar accident management – part of Jaguar Chauffeur Insurance, a comprehensive service for fault and non-fault accidents, including arranging repairs at a Jaguar approved repairer and the provision of a like-for-like replacement vehicle which will also be PCO licenced for London based chauffeurs

Quintessentially Jaguar – one year’s membership of a dedicated global ‘concierge’ service, to provide assistance with special customer requests, such as theatre or restaurant bookings

Priority servicing and repairs – to ensure vehicles are back on the road, washed and valeted, as soon as possible

Tailored finance – a range of tailored finance options, including flexible Jaguar Contract Hire profiles with varying annual mileage options, with or without maintenance

Experience the Latest Jaguars with a 72-Hour Demonstrator
Licenced chauffeur operators who wish to experience the style and comfort of the Jaguar XJ or XF saloons can take advantage of a 72-hour demonstrator vehicle, which will be PCO licenced for businesses based in London.

The Jaguar XJ 3.0-Litre V6 Diesel Long Wheelbase offers combined fuel economy of 39.2mpg, 189g/km CO2 and is priced from £56,900 on the road. The Jaguar XF 3.0-Litre V6 Diesel, with 42.0mpg combined and 179g/km CO2 is priced from £34,900 on the road. For more information please visit www.jaguar.co.uk/chauffeur.