To the towkay who’s always chauffeured to work, a limousine should be spacious, luxurious and boast a badge that’s synonymous with success. Not surprisingly, many of these company bosses would opt for a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which is the “traditional” choice for this purpose.
CEOs who are keen drivers, however, would probably want a limo with all the aforementioned attributes, plus a fun-to-drive factor. After all, driving a big business saloon (perhaps when the chauffeur is on leave) doesn’t have to be a humdrum affair.
Looking to stand out in the company carpark is the Jaguar XJ Portfolio, which we test here in short-wheelbase form (the long-wheelbase model wasn’t available). Despite being the oldest contender here (it was introduced to Singapore in early 2010), this big cat still promises to deliver a “growling” performance with its muscular engine and well-tuned chassis.
Understated in looks but not in size is the Audi A8. The largest saloon of the group offers plenty of lounging space, while also aiming to impress with its solid build and advanced infotainment features.
Giving both the Audi and Jag a run for the money is the BMW 7 Series in 750Li configuration. Having recently been updated, the German flagship now packs an enhanced powertrain as well as an upgraded interior that’s filled with even more amenities.
Which of these contenders will put the biggest smile on the face of a towkay? Continue reading to find out.
The Audi A8 is just as good as its rivals when utilised as a chauffeur-driven limousine, but it doesn’t quite measure up to the others in terms of driving excitement, despite its paper figures. But for the serious businessman who fancies playing the “Transporter” role from time to time, he can’t go wrong with the A8.
Chief executives who want sheer road presence paired to an expressive motor should opt for the Jaguar XJ – with the long wheelbase, of course. But while we’re willing to gloss over its lower performance quotient, we cannot overlook its average build quality, which is hard to accept in the flagship segment.
The most convincing limousine of the three is the BMW 750Li. Because it delivers equally on both luxury and sporting performance, it’s likely to put the biggest smile on the face of the enthusiast towkay – whether he’s seated in the front setting home-office-home lap times, or seated in the rear reading the Business Times.
SPECIFICATIONS
Audi A8 (4.0) (A)
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE V8, 32-valves, turbocharged
CAPACITY 3993cc
BORE X STROKE 84.5mm x 89mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 10:1
MAX POWER 420bhp at 5000rpm
MAX TORQUE 600Nm at 1500-4500rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 215.9bhp per tonne
GEARBOX 8-speed automatic with manual select
DRIVEN WHEELS All
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 4.7 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h
CONSUMPTION 10.5km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 221g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT Multi-link, coil springs,
anti-roll bar
REAR Multi-link, coil springs,
anti-roll bar
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs
TYRES
TYPE Pirelli P Zero
SIZE 265/40 R20
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 8
TRACTION AIDS ABS with ESC
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 5267mm
WIDTH 1949mm
HEIGHT 1471mm
WHEELBASE 2992mm
KERB WEIGHT 1945kg
TURNING CIRCLE 12.7m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE $528,700 (after $5k CEVS surcharge)
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
WE SAY
+ Most solid build quality, smoothest transmission, best rear legroom
– Least compelling engine, least striking design, boot lacks flexibility
SPECIFICATIONS
BMW 750Li 4.4 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE V8, 32-valves, turbocharged
CAPACITY 4395cc
BORE X STROKE 89mm x 88.3mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 10:1
MAX POWER 450bhp at 5500rpm
MAX TORQUE 650Nm at 2000-4500rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 229.6bhp per tonne
GEARBOX 8-speed automatic
with manual select
DRIVEN WHEELS Rear
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 4.8 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h
CONSUMPTION 11.6km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
FRONT Multi-link, coil springs
anti-roll bar
REAR Multi-link, coil springs,
anti-roll bar
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs
TYRES
TYPE Pirelli P Zero
SIZE 245/45 R19 (front),
275/40 R19 (rear)
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 6
TRACTION AIDS ABS with DSC
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 5219mm
WIDTH 1902mm
HEIGHT 1481mm
WHEELBASE 3210mm
KERB WEIGHT 1960kg
TURNING CIRCLE 12.7m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE $579,800 (no CEVS rebate/surcharge)
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
WE SAY
+ Coolest infotainment, sharpest steering, most linear powertrain
– Heftiest price tag, smallest cargo capacity, least powerful air-con
SPECIFICATIONS
Jaguar XJ 5.0 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE V8, 32-valves, supercharged
CAPACITY 5000cc
BORE X STROKE 92.5mm x 93mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 9.5:1
MAX POWER 470bhp at 6000-6500rpm
MAX TORQUE 575Nm at 2500-5500rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 251.3bhp per tonne
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic
with manual select
DRIVEN WHEELS Rear
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 5.2 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h
CONSUMPTION 8.3km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 289g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT Double wishbones, coil springs
REAR Multi-link, coil springs
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs
TYRES
TYPE Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
SIZE 245/40 R20 (front),
275/35 R20 (rear
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 6
TRACTION AIDS ABS with DSC
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 5127mm
WIDTH 1899mm
HEIGHT 1457mm
WHEELBASE 3032mm
KERB WEIGHT 1942kg
TURNING CIRCLE 12.3m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE $460,000 (after $20k CEVS surcharge)
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
WE SAY
+ Head-turning exterior, wonderful engine vocals, swankiest cabin, good value
– Least spacious interior, average infotainment, thirstiest motor
