The XJ line was updated in autumn 1973.

The 4.2 L I-6 XJ6 and the 5.3 L V12 XJ12 were continued with an addition of a 3.4 L 3,442 cc version of the XK engine available from 1975.

Initially the Series II was offered with two wheelbases, but at the 1974 London Motor Show Jaguar announced the withdrawal of the standard wheelbase version: subsequent cars all featured the extra 4 inches of passenger cabin length hitherto featured only on the long-wheelbase model.

By this time the first customer deliveries of the two-door Coupe, which retained the shorter standard-wheelbase, and which had already been formally launched more than a year earlier, were only months away.

Visually, Series II cars are differentiated from their predecessors by raised front bumpers to meet US crash safety regulations, which necessitated a smaller grille, complemented by a discreet additional inlet directly below the bumper.

The interior received a substantial update, including simplified heating and a/c systems...