Well Jaguar->ke39 isn’t even trying any more. Our spy shooters were out and about and they found one of the British marque’s new XJ->ke1206 models running around with essentially no camouflage. Aside from a touch of tape across the lights front and rear, this Jaguar is presented in its full glory. The car unsurprisingly looks a lot like the old one with just a few nips and tucks to make it look a little more svelt and a touch more modern.

Looking at the photos we aren’t greeted with any major surprises. The nose is a bit more upright, the vents in the fascia have been altered, and the rear bumper has some more sculpting to it, but I imagine that on the outside very few people will recognize this as a new car. The new wheels do look nice though.

We don’t have any photos of this machine's interior, so there may be more dramatic changes inside rather than out. Considering how blatantly open Jaguar is being with this car we expect the new model to be officially announced within the next few weeks. As always, we will have all the info you need as soon as the car is launched. In the meantime, why don’t you take a look at our 2015 XJL review to see why we are all so excited for this new car.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Jaguar XJ.

Why it matters

The Jaguar XJ may still be one of the best looking large luxury sedans on the market, but it is starting to get a bit long in the tooth. While looks are not that changed, if Jaguar made significant alterations to the drivetrains, interior or equipment options, the new XJ could be back at the top of the pack. Jaguar needs this car as soon as possible, so it is nice to see that the company is moving forward with a lot of progress very quickly. The new car should be announced soon, and then to dealer showrooms very quickly after that.

Jaguar XJ - spy shots