The Range Rover P38 was a vast step above what had come before – it offered not only go-anywhere ability but luxury beyond what the outgoing car could hope to match. Land Rover was bullish about the new product – it believed that not only was it capable of seeing off the best that Jeep could throw its way but also that it could compete on equal terms with the Mercedes S-Class and Jaguar XJ. Few outside the motoring magazines had the chance to compare the two when they were new – and as they age, few enthusiasts like the idea of having two large and costly classics on the driveway.
However, at Classic Car Mart we’re different. These two cars have been run alongside each other for almost six months now, meaning we feel better qualified than most to assess whether the Range Rover really was as good as a luxury saloon. Can it take on the Jaguar XJ and win?
JAGUAR SOVEREIGN 3.2
The Jaguar XJ and the Range Rover, as concepts, date back to within two years of each other. And by 1994, both were due new generations. The X300 and the P38a were launched in the same month, September 1994, and unsurprisingly most of the major car mags capitalised by featuring both in the same issue under the banner of Britishness. The XJ was effectively a facelift while the Range Rover was new – but that didn’t deter the magazines. While the X300 was an evolution of the earlier, squarer XJ40, it heralded a return to form for Jaguar with soft curves and gentle haunches, evoking the Series XJs in a package which took the XJ40 and improved upon it for greater reliability and comfort. The biggest story was
