Envy is not good for a person’s soul, but I envy the members of the Internet Car and Truck of the Year jury who had the privilege of going to the launch of the new Jaguar XJ. Oh Jaguar, why dost thou forsake me?

As Mark Elias from Left Lane News so eloquently put it:

“With chief designer Ian Callum performing at the top of his game as the preeminent automotive stylist working today, the Jaguar XJ doesn’t necessarily chart a new course for Jaguar, but it sure does help define the brand. Smooth and capable, this isn’t the Jaguar of yore.”

Aaron Gold from Cars.About.Com

“The XJ is supposed to be the least-sporty Jag, and it does put comfort above handling, but it still knows its way around a curvy road. It’s a different sort of Jag, and I’m still coming to terms with that — but overall, I was really taken with the car.”