Unfortunately, once you step inside, you get a sense of the XJ's age compared with its closest rivals. Its digital dials might have seemed cutting-edge before, but with the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series now boasting huge dual screens, touch-pad controllers, and even cameras to track your gestures, the Jaguar seems a little out of touch. The driving position is good, though, with 14-way electrically adjustable seats and an electric steering column fitted as standard. Sadly, although it's easy enough to see where the long bonnet ends, the tilted rear screen and thick pillars make it very tricky to see what's behind. So, it's fortunate that the XJ comes with a reversing camera as standard.
One thing the XJ does well inside is to look luxurious, with huge chrome air vents, a big analogue clock in the centre of the dash, and soft blue lighting for the instruments. It's a shame, though, that some of the materials featured simply don't feel as expensive as they do in the best cars in this class, especially the plastics and switches on the centre console.