The Jaguar XK has been a design icon since 1949, and the latest version (introduced for 2007) looks very much the part. The overhangs are shorter, but the signature voluptuousness is in every panel on the car, and the tires and wheels are more prominent in the design.

The stowaway power convertible top added some width to the rear end of the car to accommodate the steel top cover, but both the coupe and the convertible are stunning cars. We don't need those new front fender badges to tell us that it's a Jaguar, and the taillamps are a bit busy, but otherwise the coupe and convertible are a pair of lovely shapes, carefully adorned.

Most of what is underneath came directly from the all-aluminum-chassis XJ sedan introduced three years ago, and that's a good thing, leading to huge weight reductions with concomitant gains in stiffness, strength and performance.

Interior Features

Part of the total engineering revision introduced for 2007 involved stretching the wheelbase by almost six and a half inches to afford much more interior space.

Inside the latest XK, everything is roomier. The seats were given more travel, and there's more room for humans in all directions. Everything inside was new last year, from the new shifter with a Sport slot to the new dashboard and instrument layout, to the standard touch-screen navigation system.

The seats were given a major redesign, and are much the better for it, with longer cushions, more power adjustments, more enveloping bolsters, and generally more long-distance comfort built in. They're upholstered in Jaguar's traditional leather, of course, and set off by the buyer's choice of walnut veneer, poplar veneer, or aluminum trim panels on the doors and dashboard.

The instruments have more engaging graphics, the layout is better, and the switchgear makes more sense now because of the opportunity to redesign it.

The XK was built up from the idea of a 2+2 roadster. The coupe came after the more complex disappearing hard top design, also as a 2+2. We appreciate what Jaguar is trying to do here, but the rear compartment simply doesn't have room for the average adult occupant. Purses, backpacks, briefcases and satchels, maybe, but not real people. At least not very large people, and not for long distances.

All the controls and switches make sense, especially if you're used to Jaguars. Things work pretty much the same way as the previous XK8 and XKR. The new navigation system is big, bright, colorful, clear and useful with a minimum of fuss.

None of the other coupes and roadsters in this small luxury sports car class are exactly swimming in cargo space, and the XK doesn't move the needle here, either, with 10.6 cubic feet in the coupe, 10.0 cubic feet in the convertible with the top up, and only 7 cubic feet with the top stowed.

Dealing with the XK, working its works, discovering it system by system, was a pleasure. No surprises, no weirdness. We did find the A-pillar to be thicker than we'd like, interfering with our vision in some driving situations, but other than that quibble, the car was quick, quiet, comfortable and easy to use, with strong kudos for the touch-screen design and interface.

© 2008 NewCarTestDrive.com