In Jaguars heyday, there were two things that seemed to define them, firstly, a feeling of grandeur and secondly, a note-full soundtrack from a large petrol power-plant. The most enviable of which was the ultra-smooth 6.0ltr V12 found in the XJS. An industry professional once commented that if you could afford to run a Jaguar then you could afford to buy one new; possibly a fair statement back in the 80s or early 90s.
Jaguar, as with most manufacturers, has evolved into a brand that wants to sell a volume of cars to compete on the global stage. When the company was sold by Ford in 2008 to Tata Motors, it spelled the demise of the once favoured petrol gas-guzzlers; replaced with a series of diesel engines that would power the popular XF.
Four pot versions pulled in most of the company car drivers but there needed to be an in-between; an engine that was both frugal and in keeping with the expectations of Jag fans.
So was born the AJV6D, a reworked and improved version of the 2.7D it was based on; found in the old S-Type. This was well received by buyers as most achieved 35+ to the gallon even when using most of the 240 horses on tap. The AJV6D didn’t rival BMWs straight 6, found in the 530d or 535d but in the real world, it was more than good enough; allowing prospective customers to add a true Jag to their shopping list The 3.0 diesel lump was used across the various Jaguar-Land Rover platforms in different states of tune; resulting in a demand for quality parts which matched the pocket of ‘new’ Jaguar owners.
