DRAMA BY DESIGN; WE REVEAL JAGUAR'S NEXT FLAGSHIP XJ.(NEWS)

Byline: JULIAN RENDELL

Jaguar's next-gener-ation XJ luxury sedan will incorporate design features from the C-XF concept first shown at Detroit, AutoWeek has learned.

Although prototypes captured by spy photographers are disguised with BMW-style grilles, the face of the new 2010 XJ will feature Jag's gaping square grille and a curvaceous body with a rakish, coupelike rear window. The final XJ incorporates slim headlights with double-projector lenses that are very close in design to those revealed on the dramatic C-XF shown at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

Industry sources report that the xenon lights previewed on the C-XF weren't ready for production in 2007, so they couldn't be incorporated into the XF, the midsize sedan that arrived soon after the concept. But now, that technology is production-ready for the XJ.

Jaguar design chief Ian Callum says the XJ's styling is the culmination of 30 years of learning.

"We think this car will appeal to people who understand design with a capital D, Callum said.

The XJ is a clever reworking of the current, aluminum-bodied model, which had lackluster ...