The XF, Jaguar's mid-sizer, was a... leap.... forward in design, luxury, and gimmicks when it debuted (no more J-gate shifter!). It not only made the S-Type look like a slob, but made people relegate the S to the "end of the bad days" section of history with Jag's unfortunate X-Type. The XJ, on the other hand, has been the picture of restrained aristocracy - as opposed to performance, value, or extravagance - in the luxury segment for quite some time, its lines slowly evolving but never really breaking the mold.

Well, all that has just changed, for better or for worse. Never the sales leader, the newest XJ is one of this year's debuts that needs to be super-dee-super (much like Saab's 9-5); looking at the photos, well, it is and it isn't.

The bottom line is this: the exterior comes off like a photoshopped XF. The front end takes the XF's face and makes it smoother and more elegant, which happens to be a big bonus. Also, it doesn't appear to slope back as much, creating a blunter, more aggressive demeanor when partnered with the mean - and better-executed than the XF - headlights. For anything else positive, other than the decent albeit "looks like SOMEONE used to work for Audi" roofline, you'll have to go inside; right now we're sticking to the exterior, where things go from good to bad in a real hurry.

The award for biggest "Just say NO" idea goes to the c-pillar. What were they thinking? Whether it's painted metal or just black composite, I guess the idea was to give the illusion of the rear windscreen wrap-around. If that was indeed the case, the chrome trim around the side windows quickly put a stop to that idea. Also, why would they want the rear windshield to appear wider than the panoramic roof? For the sake of appearing out of balance, obviously.

The rest of the rear three-quarter view seems rushed and stolen, with Audi A6 written all over it. The taillights look like a cross between those of the Lancia Thesis and the Maserati Quattroporte, while the trunk is just plain, bland, and boring. The leaper is ok, but a car as significant as this should say J-A-G-U-A-R across the back in tastefully-sized chrome letters, telling you what it is instead of giving Pictionary-esque hints.

That said, the good stuff is on the inside. The interior is gorgeous, fresh, and everything the newest big Jag needs to be. The layered dashboard is different, while still keeping with Jaguar's traditional door-to-door wood paneling theme. Does the dash's wraparound wood remind me of a Buick Lacrosse? Sure, but it works (if Jaguar thinks Buick's design is good enough to adapt to its range-topper, what does that say about the new Lacrosse interior?).

The raised center vents are reminiscent of a Pagani, and the attention to detail regarding the trim is top-notch, even if some of the baubles are bound to cause future problems (is that ambient lighting in the vents?). Lastly, when 30 percent of the rear doors are covered with slabs of wood, you know the car is ritzy. While the exterior is meh, the interior is what convinces me that it's a Jag.

We can all tell that the latest XJ is a 90-degree turn off the path its predecessors laid out for it, but is it enough? It will certainly grab attention for being the radical departure that it is, even if it inherited more than its share of flaws trying to be like the rest of the luxury gang; but will it be able to compete with the A-Team of big-lux sedans? For performance, quality, and the rest, we'll just have to wait for the reviews.

What we know is this: at $72,000 and change, the entry-level model with the 385HP 5.0-liter V8 seems to be priced just right; but a $15,000 hike for the 470HP supercharged V8 model? That seems like a bit of a gouge. And if you want the 510-horse "special order only" Supersport (it seems as if interior traits aren't the only item worth taking from GM) it'll take $112,000+ from you. For a supercharged V8 that's pushing it. It seems as if Jaguar still hasn't quite figured out its pricing and its targets just yet. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

By Phil Alex

Phil Alex was born in Rhode Island in 1985. He graduated with degrees in Finance and German from Wofford College in 2007 and has had an obsession with cars and travel. Currently he resides near Japan's international airport in Narita. He makes no apologies for his articles and welcomes all feedback, as long as it is adamantly worded. If for any reason you are inclined to vent some more, check out more of his posts on the Examiner here.