New Jaguar model set to make its Kenyan debut

The new Kenya we are now enjoying is home to a beautiful people, improved roads and abundant wildlife.

We are very proud of everything Kenyan, especially the three main members of the cat family; the Lion, Cheetah and Leopard.

All are a must-see for every tourist. Soon we will add one more feline, the Jaguar.

The new luxury automobile will be at home alongside its adopted relatives, the Range Rover and Land Rover at a newly refurbished CMC showroom.

The Jaguar is a rare feline, found only in exotic tropical jungles and you would be very lucky to see one in your lifetime.

But in a few weeks you will have the distinct pleasure of owning one.

Will Mercedes, which currently enjoy the Lion’s share of the luxury car market and arguably the current king of Kenya’s automotive jungle survive its endangered status?

Ever since the Government declared it an ‘opulent, fuel guzzling luxury’ it has desperately tried to educate the public that it is indeed as fuel efficient as the vehicle next door despite the exorbitant asking price.

The sporty BMW, like the Cheetah, is making a speedy recovery after lying in the gutter for years under its previous parents on Commercial Street.

Audi, like the Leopard, has had a spotted past but is capable and highly under-rated.

Will the Jaguar manage to infiltrate the Kenyan market without being mauled by these three rivals?

Three men who share a name will decide its fate, both globally and on the local front.

Carl-Peter Forster is Jaguar-Land Rover’s overlord, tasked by Tata to save these premium brands after Ford failed to turn them around.

He has big plans to introduce small sporty Jaguars with 4-cylinder engines.

Martin Forster has run the CMC Motors Group for decades while Greg Forster, the new head of Land Rover has the herculean task of ensuring that Jaguar claws its way into this market.

So is the Jaguar really as good as it looks? I sought to find out.

To say the very least this auto has one of the most elegant cockpits I have ever set my eyes on.

The V8 power plant rumbles to life when you turn this baby on, disrupting the tranquil peace outside the beautiful Quabaai Hyatt Golf Resort in South Africa.

Soon I am cruising down smoothly paved roads on 19-inch wheels in the company of a veteran who understands exotic cars.

With the lead car guiding us, we made our way through light city traffic towards the Ostrich farms into the hilly countryside.

The interior is exquisite, with the feel of the bolstered leather seats revealing that this is a driver’s car, the wood panels on the doors are the largest I have seen in a car.

The vehicle gently glides over the road, covering kilometre after kilometre, confidently and competently.

I can feel the 19-inchers gripping the asphalt but I have experienced quieter tyres, perhaps 18-inch rims would have isolated the coarse road surface better by accommodating more rubber.

The growl from the engine is un-intrusive as the 8 gears shift intelligently, keeping the revs below 2000 rpm.

Soon we leave the restrictive highway into the winding country roads and the real joy of driving the flagship Jaguar XJ became clear.

The vehicle in my hands is very communicative, the sound of the engine makes its way through the vents into the cabin and the leather wrapped steering wheel tells me how the suspension is handling the road beneath us.

The rigid aluminium body firmly obeys every instruction from the supremely intuitive suspension. It is amazing how easy it is to drive such a large vehicle.

With a very light but assertive application of the accelerator pedal, the engine responds instantly sending us effortlessly to 150 kph. What a joy this car is to drive!

Luxury vehicle

It certainly has bite and it is ecstatically delightful. I depress my right foot a little more and the virtual speedometer glows red as it edges towards 180 kph.

I smile deviously as I steal a glance at my passenger Bob Dewar. He seems not to mind so we edge on into the horizon with nobody visible in the rear view mirror.

To accommodate those that are not used to driving on the correct side of the road we stop and take a deserved break.

As the aluminium body and engine tinkers in the warm south Africa afternoon sun, we exchange notes with the lead car and moments later we are joined by the rest.

It time for a sumptuous lunch and the banter at the table is hearty as we all marvel at how great this vehicle is.

Kenyans will finally think again before buying a luxury vehicle.