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I was writing of the long sweeping roofline which marks the beautifully restyled 2011 Jaguar XJL sedan, when a mail alert brought to my attention word of the Fiat 500 and where it will be sold in the U.S.

In the Denver metro area, the perky little 500 will be sold, probably by February or March, out southeast by Doug Moreland and out north by AutoNation, said Wendy Orthman, Chrysler communications executive in Chicago. Only 130 franchises have been awarded, and others closest to Denver are Omaha to the east and Salt Lake City to the west.

Moreland, who has been selling Dodge products since he was a kid many years ago, said he’ll set up his Fiat business at either 505 S. Havana St., the former Colorado Jeep building, or at Arapahoe and Dayton, formerly Burt Lincoln Mercury.

AutoNation (Go dealers) hasn’t selected a permanent location, either. “We’ll operate in the 104th Avenue area,” said Steve Strader, “and have options between existing AutoNation properties and the purchase of an alternative site. The Italian flair of the micro car certainly will differ from anything being sold here now.”

“I’m really excited about the new little Fiat 500; it will be something absolutely different from what we’ve sold in the past, and, down the road, we’ll add other Fiats and Alfa Romeo,” said Moreland.

The last Fiats I reviewed in the Post were a 131 in 1978 and a Strada in ’79. Shortly after, Fiat left the U.S. market. The association of Fiat and Chrysler occurred through a merger following Chrysler’s bankruptcy last year.

The little Fiat 500, sized fairly closely to the Mini Cooper and expected to be priced in the $15,500 to $18,000 range, is quite a contrast to the sedan I’ve been driving – the 2011 Jaguar XJL.

It was snowing and 30 degrees when I backed the rear-wheel-drive Jag from my garage about 7:45 a.m. Monday and maneuvered my way along the slick streets to my destination – Starbucks – for a grande bold coffee.

I left my gloves in my coat pockets, opting for touching a switch which within 30 seconds was sending warmth through the soft-leather-covered steering wheel into my hands. I seldom use heated seats, one of the most popular options out there for many drivers, but I appreciate a heated steering wheel on a cold morning.

The long-wheelbase Jag slipped only slightly on the snow-covered streets. It is equipped with low-profile 19-inch Pirelli P245/45R P Zero Nero all-season tires, as well as vehicle stability control and a winter driving mode, which lets the Jaguar’s transmission start in 2nd gear, lessening torque and spinning at the rear wheels.

Few sedans would be more aptly suited for a highway drive from Denver to, say, Phoenix or Dallas. Suspension settings are continuously adjusted through electronic dampers. Smooth acceleration comes from its 385-horsepower, 5.0-liter V-8 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Jaguar has given up its long-overused, notchy J-gate shifter in favor of the rotary shifter which emerges from the center console. The likable cylinder shifter was introduced on the smaller XF a couple of years ago. The Jaguar’s glowing review for highway travel fades only in consideration of fuel economy. The XJL carries an EPA highway rating of 22 miles per gallon; I averaged 18.6 in overall driving.

Its wide, well-bolstered front seats offer outstanding support for long trips, and are heated and cooled and equipped with a massager in the seatbacks. The “L” in the XJL model designation means 5 inches of extended length, all in the rear-seating space, where there is ample room for the fold-down business trays. Trunk space seems tight – 15 cubic feet for the XJL and the standard XJ. A power-closing trunk lid is new, similar to that used on SUVs for a number of years.

A highlight of its impressive interior is its ivory-colored suede headliner. The front one of its dual sunroofs opens and the other in back is fixed. A power rear sunshade adds comfort on hot, bright days.

The new Jaguar uses a virtual instrument panel, similar to that in Mercedes-Benz and Range Rover – flat digital images like those on a computer game. An 8-inch touch-screen control center seems slow at times in delivering desired requests.

Automatic headlights, which remain on the bright setting until instantly dimming for oncoming traffic, are among options, along with the high-end Bowers & Wilkins sound system.

The $82,700 price tag also includes side-curtain airbags, blind-spot monitor, backup camera, Bluetooth and iPod connection.

The long and low look of the ’11 XJL is accented by the large upright grille at the front and the leaping cat on the rear deck lid.

2011 Jaguar XJL

$82,700
(price as tested)

MPG City 15 Highway 22

Vehicle type: Premium luxury long-wheelbase sedan
Wheelbase: 124.3 inches
Length/Width/Height: 206.6/74.6/57 inches
Weight: 4,131 pounds
Engine: 5.0-liter V-8
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 18.6 mpg
Fuel tank: 21.7 gallons
Warranty: 5 years/50,000 miles basic
Competitors: Audi A8L, BMW 740Li, Lexus LS460L, Mercedes-Benz S550
Built at: Castle Bromwich, England

THE STICKER

$78,650 base
$2,200 Bowers & Wilkins sound
$1,000 Active headlights, cornering lights
$850 Destination

PLUSES

Long, low look
Highway comfort
Interior trim
Rear-seat space

MINUSES

Fuel economy
Trunk capacity
Touch-screen