Fresh-faced XK is up and running

It’s one of the freshest and most attractive cars on the road, but believe it or not, the Jaguar XK is already approaching middle age. So, to ensure it maintains its showroom appeal, new owner Tata has decided the time has come for a facelift.

Our spies have snapped the coupé undergoing testing, and a number of subtle tweaks have been carried out.

These exclusive images show the high-performance XKR – distinguished by its quad tailpipes – on a development run in the Austrian mountains.

The updated XK, which will debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, incorporates an array of updates inside and out, including new front and rear bumpers, revised air intakes and LED tail-lights. The current car’s retractable aerial will also be ditched in favour of a BMW-style boot-mounted shark fin.

Stiffer suspension and a recalibrated steering rack will sharpen up the XK’s driving dynamics, while inside, the traditional gear selector is replaced by the new rotary drive-select transmission interface found in the XF.