+ Click to Enlarge FUEL-EFFICIENT LUXURY: The Jaguar XJ TDVi is a big, five-seater sedan but nevertheless covered 1600km from the top of Scotland to the toe of England on a tank of diesel.

April 20, 2006

London, England - A Jaguar XJ sedan has travelled the length of the UK on one tank of fuel – and then went on to top 1600km in total.

The XJ TDVi completed the trip from John O'Groat’s to Land’s End – a distance of 840 miles (about 1350km) – with an average fuel consumption of 5.3 litres/100km, according to the car's trip data computer.

That's the equivalent of driving from Johannesburg to Cape Town on a tank and then halfway back to Beaufort West - though you couldn't do it here because Jaguar SA doesn't stock it and has no plans right now to import it.

A 2.7-litre diesel S-Type will, however, arrive in May or June and a Jaguar SA spokesman said of the British trek: "It is a great achievement and it proves that Jaguar is working hard towards building environmentally friendly vehicles."

Having reached Land’s End, the driver headed back to Jaguar's Birmingham HQ without refuelling and reached a total of 1000.2 miles (1600km) before the tank ran dry.

The achievement, Jaguar says, is proof of the XJ's technological strengths: an aluminium body and a twin-turbo V6 diesel engine.

The XJ TDVi was standard with satellite navigation, CD auto-changer, premium sound system and rear DVD screens.

Jaguar says the The XJ TDVi has an average fuel consumption figure of 8.1 litresl/100km on the combined test cycle, 10.8/100km in town and 6.5/100km in and around town.

Geoff Cousins, MD of Jaguar UK, said: "We were always optimistic that the XJ diesel could do this but the figures we achieved were beyond our best expectations and show the car is a truly economical luxury car.

"Following the recent questions about the UK government offering its ministers the choice of a Jaguar XJ diesel, this proves how the it really is one of the most environmentally friendly cars in its class."

After setting off from John O’Groat’s,the XJ’s 85-litre tank full, the team of five rotated driving duties between them every hour or so and the XJ was always carrying a passenger for safety.

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