The Jaguar XJ is is a near clean-sheet design for the 2011 model year with all-new sheet metal, interior bits and powertrains. All that change leads to a new price tag  when the biggest cat hits UK dealerships this April, and the MSRP ranges wildly depending on what you’re looking for. UK site Autocar reports that the XJ will range from £53,775 ($86,741 in U.S. funds, though that’s not directly comparable) for the 3.0 diesel Luxury model to £90,455 ($145,638 U.S.) for the “base” 5.0 Supersport LWB. Those prices will climb based on the options chosen, and we’re sure plenty of models will crest the £100,000 mark. The middling XJ 5.0 V8 Premium Luxury comes in at £64,355  and New Jaguar XJ Price ($103,579 U.S).

Jaguar will reportedly sell three different versions of the XJ, with powertrain options ranging from five versions of the 3.0-liter diesel model to four versions with the petrol-powered 5.0-liter V8 and finally two different supercharged 5.0-liter Supersport models. All models will reportedly be available with both standard and long wheelbases, with the longer Jags coming with a £3,000 price premium.

Keep in mind that UK pricing very often has very little to do with the XJ MSRP we’re likely to see here in the U.S. due to the much higher value of the British Pound versus the U.S. dollar and the UK’s wonky Value Added Tax. In other words, don’t read much into the pricing unless you live on a very large island just north of mainland Europe. Head over to Autocar to see cross-pond pricing for all ‘11 XJ models.

If you want to maximize you fuel efficiency in the city, your best bet is probably a hybrid. On the flip side of the coin, if you do most of your driving on the open road, diesel engines tend to be much more economical than their gasoline-powered siblings. What if you could combine the two, though, and end up with the best of both worlds?

While it would hardly be the first automaker to embark down that path, Autocar is reporting that General Motors is working on a diesel hybrid powertrain that could see production in various Opel and Vauxhall models (such as the Astra and Insignia) sometime after 2012. Sounds good, right? Of course, there are problems to work out.

One thing that’s holding all major automakers back from diesel hybrids are both development and production costs, which can be substantial since both diesels and hybrids already carry a premium over gasoline-burning engines. Maurizio Cisternino, GM of Europe’s advanced technology chief engineer, has reportedly told the UK publication that the automaker is aiming for a premium of 1,000 euros (£880 or about $1,400 U.S. at current exchange rates) for the diesel hybrid over traditional hybrids, something that would be quite an achievement.

If the hybrid powertrain does come to fruition, expect it to be paired with GM’s upcoming 1.6-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder, a special version of which is said to be prepared with computer controls that are compatible with The General’s hybrid systems. It’s also possible that a diesel engine will at some point be coupled to the automaker’s Voltec powertrain as seen in the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera.

[Source: Autocar]