2008 Jaguar XK Safety Review
Based on analysis of 61 XK reviews and test drives.
Jaguar XK Safety Review
Safety - NA
The 2008 Jaguar XK coupe has not been tested by the federal government or insurance industry. But, "Safety features are just what you'd expect in this price category," says the Detroit News.
Accident Avoidance
The XK comes standard with plenty of advanced safety equipment, including Anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, traction control, daytime running lamps, twin front fog lamps and a single rear fog lamp, and LED rear tail lamps.
A standard Reverse Park Control system uses ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper to detect objects up to six feet behind the car. The system is well-liked, with CNET calling it "one of the most advanced we have used. Rather than indicating proximity from an obstacle by a series of beeps, the radar-based system actually displays a visual representation of an object by showing its distance from the rear bumper and its relative lateral position (left/right center/left center/left) to the car." USA Today says the system's sensitivity "was about right."
An optional Advanced Technology Package includes several safety systems. Front Park Control uses ultrasonic sensors in the bumper to detect obstacles when parking. Adaptive Cruise Control maintains a specific, selectable distance from the car ahead and slows the XK accordingly. "This system doesn't stop the car completely; it alerts the driver when a low speed threshold is reached," explains Cars.com. "In my test vehicles, the feature didn't do the best job of distinguishing between cars ahead in adjacent lanes and those in my lane. It made for a lot of unnecessary slowing and going."
Also included in the Advanced Technology Package is Active Front Lighting. When cornering, these lights provide better visibility via sensors that react to the vehicle's speed and angle of approach and consequently swivel the lens to increase vision around turns.
Crash Protection
To protect passengers in a crash, the XK provides seat-mounted side-impact air bags and dual-stage chest air bags for front occupants. An occupancy sensor in the front passenger seat deploys or deactivates that air bag depending on the occupant's weight.
In the event of a rear impact, a whiplash reduction system for the front seats helps reduce the risk of neck or spinal injuries.
