2009 Jaguar XJ X358

In common with all the cars we receive from the vendor, who is very well-known to us, this car is a Japanese import.

Now then. What exactly does that news tell you?

Firstly, it tells you that this car will have experienced the pampered and fastidiously curated existence enjoyed by nearly all prestigious, luxury Japanese imports.

It may be something of a cliché to talk about the value of ‘honour’ in Japanese society and culture. But it’s no exaggeration to say that this tradition is alive and well in the Japanese motor trade.

This is a world in which mechanics are assiduously diligent in their work, dealers are scrupulously honest in their valuations, and owners take obsessive levels of pride in the care and attention they lavish upon their expensive European cars.

Secondly, it tells you that the car has spent its life in a country where salt is thrown over the shoulders of sumo wrestlers, not chucked all over the roads with reckless abandon like it is in the UK.

Ergo, Japanese cars are nearly always free of the sort or corrosion issues that routinely affect cars in the UK and elsewhere.

One of the very last of the X358 models built, this stunning 3.0-litre V6 XJ X358 SWB was exported new to Japan in 2009 and was brought back to the land of its birth earlier this year.

In between, it has had just one owner and covered only a miserly 25,000 miles from new.

As ever, the vendor has spent around £2,000 ensuring the car has a full UK specification - speedo face, Sat Nav, full-sized number plates, etc.

The car is entirely ULEZ/CAZ compliant, is in the £360 per-annum road tax category, and attracts standard UK insurance rates with no import loading.

It is a very comprehensively optioned and specified example.

Among its many factory extras are the following.

•    Rear door blinds
•    Electric rear screen blind
•    Reversing camera
•    Xenon headlamps with power wash
•    Double-glazed acoustic glass
•    Cruise control with speed limiter
•    Sat Nav
•    Auto lights & wipers
•    19” alloy wheels on Falken tyres
•    Upper and lower mesh grilles
•    Front and rear parking sensors
•    Boot lid spoiler
•    Front fog lamps
•    Charcoal ruched leather trim
•    Wood/leather steering wheel
•    Heated front seats
•    Electric steering column, pedals and mirrors with memory
•    Jaguar fitted mats.

This example is in absolutely first-class condition outside, inside and underneath.

It starts, goes, handles and stops exactly as you would hope and expect, and there are no warning lights to spoil your view of the open road ahead.
 

The car is finished in the rare shade of Winter Gold Pearl and presents very handsomely indeed from every angle.

Not least because it is the SWB variant and those proportions help keep it closer to the elegant, balanced lines of the classic, and much missed, XJ silhouette.

The bodywork is reassuringly devoid of any dinks, dents, crumples or creases of consequence and the panel gaps and shut-lines look consistent, even and true.

The chrome-work is consistently good throughout, including the famous ‘Leaper’, which is in pride of place atop the bonnet.

The paintwork is pretty much immaculate, from what we’ve seen, and the finish looks to be possessed of most of its original shine and depth of lustre.

Aside from one of two small scuffs on the lower edge of the front valance, there are really no flaws to point to.

Even entirely standard stone chips and light scratches are more notable for their absence than their presence – as evidenced by an absence of scuffs or nicks in places where you’re usually guaranteed to find them – like the wing mirror housings.

The wheels are in fine fettle and look to be wholly unacquainted with kerbs or other roadside obstacles. The matching Falken rubber looks good, too.
 

Very few manufacturers can hold a candle to Jaguar when it comes to optimally wrangling wood and leather to create interiors that make their occupants feel special.

This interior is a particularly good example of the breed and a fitting testament to the peerless artisanal skills of Jaguar’s French polishers and saddlers.

Much like the exterior, the interior is far more a reflection of the car’s low mileage than its age.

The seats are untroubled by any creasing or signs of use worthy of the name, and the ‘Charcoal’ ruched leather upholstery has weathered the passage of time with a nonchalance that borders on disdain.

The door cards are beyond reproach.

The headlining has been replaced by the vendor. He knows they are a weak link on XJs of this and earlier eras, so routinely replaces them.

The car’s wood veneers are rich and glossy throughout.

More importantly, they have successfully resisted the temptations to crake, fade or shed their lacquer that often befall some of their counterparts from lesser marques.

They really are very impressive indeed.

The same can be said for the car’s carpets and mats.

Ditto the steering wheel, gear-selector, handbrake and other controls.

As far as we and the vendor are aware, every knob, button, lever, dial, switch, instrument and gauge responds faithfully to inputs in a timely and accurate fashion.

The boot, you won’t be remotely surprised to learn, is every bit as good as the rest of it. 
 

This model is powered by the 3.0-litre AJ-V6 petrol engine – designed in collaboration with Porsche and engineered by Cosworth – delivering a smooth, balanced and refined drive.

Producing 238 bhp, it accelerates from 0–60 mph in 7.8 seconds and returns around 27 mpg combined, offering an optimal combination of performance and efficiency.

There are faster XJs. There are more economical XJs. But this is arguably the sweet spot and the best of both worlds.

Everything we can see in the engine bay appears to be spectacularly clean, tidy, correct, dry and in its right and proper place.

The car’s undersides look as if they’ve never seen salt in their lives. And that’s because they haven’t.

Basically, it’s all good.
 

This 1-owner from new car has 25,000 miles on the clock, with service history, full handbook pack and a mileage verification certificate.

It has an MoT certificate, with no advisories whatsoever, that’s valid until 16th June 2026. 
 

This is about as close to a brand-new XJ X358 as you’re going to get.

Yes, it was built in 2009, but there’s really nothing about the way it looks, handles, drives or feels to suggest that.

In fact, its condition is exceptional even for its ultra-low mileage, never mind its age.

If you’re holding out in the hope of finding a better example, you could be in for a very, very long wait.  

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £12,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Lyne, Surrey. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.