EVEN in its darkest days, Jaguar's sublime XJ was the object of desire for diehard enthusiasts, from the XJ6 to the XJS, they always had a road presence and a wow factor.

That has not really changed, in fact nowadays it has even more of a road presence, looking sleek, powerful and, well, Big Cat-like.

It looks like an elongated coupe. Huge at over five metres, but streamlined and sitting on striking 20-inch alloys, it has smart headlamps wrapping around the signature grille.

The rear end lights resemble a big cat's claws, set off with twin chrome exhausts. Other nice touches include the powered remote closing boot lid.

It's not an every day car, especially in long wheelbase style and more likely used to ferry dignitaries and VIPs around.

The interior is simply sumptuous, a riot of leather and gloss oak veneer, soft touch trim finish and deep pile carpets.

The soft grain leather is applied to the driver and passenger seats, which feature 18-way electric adjustment and driver memory function and the three-spoke leather heated steering wheel.

It also features just about every bell and whistle, gadget and gizmo for a price just of just over £70,000, although there were still plenty of options added to this range-topping Portfolio model, including a £4,000 upgrade to what is already a pretty impressive sound system.

All the usual electrics abound and other luxury features like the pulsing starter button, rotary gear control that rises from the centre console and ambient blue lighting throughout the car.

It also has Bluetooth telephone connectivity, including audio streaming, panoramic glass roof, with tilt/slide front section with electric blinds, DAB radio and last but not least, full colour HD touch-screen with navigation system.

This is controlled through the central touchscreen, which if there is a criticism, is looking slightly dated. However the rest of the dials and controls are top notch, and nicely set off by the centrally-located retro-style analogue clock.

This TV system is also available to rear seat passengers who can view the screens mounted on the rear of the front seats, while enjoying a drink or a bit to eat on the airline-style drop down tables, also fitted to the back of the front seats.

The car is simply massive with huge amounts of legroom front and rear and a simply cavernous, although shallow, boot.

Despite its size (try getting it around some of the tighter multi-storey car parks), it performs beautifully, being as taut and agile as some sporty executive saloons.

Then there's the power. The 3.0-litre, V6 turbo diesel pumps out a massive 275ps, delivering blinding pace and performance for a car which weighs just short of two tonnes.

It is also refined and produces this performance with barely a whisper, except under the fiercest of acceleration. Otherwise it fairly whispers along, with road and wind noise virtually absent.

It can hit 60mph from a standing start in just six seconds, while seamlessly shifting through the eight-speed automatic gearbox and then on to a limited top speed of 155mph.

The power is always on tap, right through the gear range and for more fun switch to Sport mode and used the paddle shift behind the steering wheel. Even when being urged along, the clever suspension set up protects passengers from swerves, bumps and potholes while a cathedral-like quiet pervades the interior.

Official fuel economy is 44.8mpg, which did not tally with the onboard computer, but one thing is for sure, it was more than 35mpg, which for a car of this size is still pretty impressive.