First drive review: Jaguar XJ AWD

Jaguar

Jaguar's star is rising – and it's rising fast. Sales across the world are booming, especially in growth markets like China where sales are up a staggering 84 per cent this year. With this global growth comes demand for market-specific models, like the all-wheel drive XJ. AOL Cars travelled to Canada to drive it.

What is it?

An all-wheel drive version of Jaguar's luxury limo, the XJ. Using a part mechanical, part electric set-up Jaguar's engineers have created a clever four-wheel drive system for markets where cold weather is the norm, like the car's launch location, Canada. The system allows 100 per cent of the power to go to the front or rear wheels, depending on where the grip is needed. The good news is no driving characteristics are lost during normal conditions as just five per cent of the power is sent to the front wheels.