I always expected I could drive anything anywhere. After navigating the new $83,000 Jaguar XJ through the impossible traffic of Mumbai, I know it for certain.
The 2016 Jaguar XJ is a very rare sight on the packed streets of India’s biggest city. Stylish, stately and composed, the car shines like an errant falling star as it patiently glides its way past honking, three-wheeled cabs and tiny, banged up hatchbacks.
Though produced by Jaguar – an Indian owned company under the Tata corporate umbrella — the car sells more commonly in Europe and the U.S. When it comes out to grace the 13 million people of Mumbai, it invariably turns some heads.
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When Jaguar invited me to India for a chance to drive the XJ, I expected they’d find some track or otherwise abandoned stretch of little used road to try out this full length, completely equipped luxury car. After all, this is a powerful, cultured sedan suitable for full chauffeur use. It’s an uncommon choice for a mere daily urban commute through dirty city streets.
Mumbai traffic is unlike anywhere else in the world. The city is bustling and overcrowded. So, the streets are absolutely jammed during business hours. The work day starts later in Mumbai and stretches into the evening — say around 10 or 11 a.m. until after 7 p.m. That might be to beat the tropical heat of 90 degrees and 80%+ humidity. Regardless of the hours, once the traffic begins, the streets are jammed with a slowly progressing, always beeping herd of metal.
It’s nerve wracking driving through that in a brand new, car selling north of 80 large. The XJ is a beautifully styled, artistic car. I didn’t want to leave so much as a mark on her, so I lived and drove “in the moment,” focused on nothing but the cars crowding in and around me.
Lanes are mere suggestions in Mumbai’s mobile militarized mob, so cars push through where they can — while overladen scooters split the difference. The reality was I could drive with absolute perfection, and one of the Indians with which I shared the uneven pavement could do the damage for me.
Fortunately, I was armed with a 3.0 liter, 340 horsepower, supercharged V6. So, when there was opening before me in the melee, I could jump into the gap with reassuring response. The eight speed automatic transmission offers no turbo lag and offers paddle shifting for when the road is more wide open. Finally, four wheel independent suspension and all-wheel-drive allowed me to forget on the uneven pavement beneath me.
While the air was steamy outside and the pressure was on behind the wheel, I had the ultimate advantage of complete comfort inside the XJ. As the buyer would expect from a top option in the mid-range luxury car field, this Jaguar includes zone climate control, heated or air conditioned seats, hand-stitched leather seats, ample space and leg room to spare.
The most treasured luxury feature while in Mumbai proved to be the XJ’s outstanding soundproofing. Mumbai’s streets echo with an endless cacophony of horns — sharp beeps from cars, tiny buzzes from scooters and the honks of old style air horns from ancient busses. While horns in New York signal impatience and Los Angeles indicate imminent gunfire, Mumbai’s horns are simple warnings. They say: “I’m here. Look out. Coming through…” With the Jag’s precise cabin seams and noise cancelling features, I didn’t escape all of that bleating. But, it seemed farther away.
In the end, I’m chuffed to say I brought the 2016 Jaguar XJ home safely without a scratch. It’s a badge of honor in my driving history made possible by this precisely built machine. The Jag deserves all of the credit, but I’ll still steal my share.
