JAGUAR

RETRO ROCKET Jaguar’s S-TYPE May Have Traded On Its Retro Influenced Styling But Even This Design Philosophy Can Benefit From A Nip And Tuck At Times. Andy Enright Reports On The Latest Version

Many commentators on car design have observed that retro styling only has a short shelf life. Once you’ve raided the corporate heirlooms, the theory goes, you’re then stuck when it comes to making updates and keeping the looks fresh. Jaguar would probably contend with that premise. The current S-TYPE retains its predecessor’s basic silhouette but tidies up the detailing with some elan.

Although it’s been with us since 1999 and has mopped up some respectable sales, the S-TYPE was in need of a mild nip and tuck to keep it from looking an anachronism amongst some resolutely modern rivals. The underpinnings of the S-TYPE got a major overhaul back in 2002 which made it a far more dynamically capable car, then in 2004, a raft of tweaks to the exterior styling and the cabin made the S-TYPE more desirable than ever. The latest round of revisions was more circumspect, all models received the sporty bumper and mesh grille from the S-TYPE R along with the six-speed automatic transmission, rear parking assist, leather seats and a leather steering wheel. View the current car in isolation and many will be left scratching their heads wondering where the differences are. Line one up next to pre’04 models, however, and the changes become instantly apparent. The front end looks a good deal sleeker and more elegant. As designer Ian Callum notes, "Too much detailing becomes too confusing, with no focal point. The car has a focal point and it’s clear what that is – the front grille and twin headlamps. But to make it work, everything around that focus has to be as simple as possible."

"The interior benefits from a slightly more contemporary style and improved practicality"

Weight distribution is helped by an aluminium bonnet that replaces the previous steel item. There’s a crisper V-shape to the bonnet too, drawing the eye towards the neater grille. The front bumper is deeper and the air intakes and fog lamps are a little more aggressive. One of the horizontal swage lines on the car’s side has been toned down to emphasise the swooping window line. This in turn gives the rear of the car a visual lift, making the original car’s rather droopy bottom look slightly perter. Sales of the S-TYPE slumped when the smaller X-TYPE was introduced, but picked up thereafter. Today, the mainstream range is refreshingly simple, the 3.0-litre V6 petrol variants sits below the 400bhp 4.2-litre R model at the top of the line-up, and there’s also a 2.7-litre V6 diesel to consider. The six-speed ZF automatic transmission is now standard with all engine choices and it’s a superlative unbit, slurring changes with buttery smoothness when dawdling along and firing them with staccato urgency when you bury the throttle.The clever Adaptive Restraint Technology System (ARTS) continues, and the latest S-TYPE features dual stage front airbags and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) is fitted to all models as standard. The 240bhp 3.0-litre AJ-V6, remains as fuel efficient as ever, priced from £29,085: you should be able to achieve over 25mpg in normal use. This unit will suit the executive wafter while the supercharged 4.2-litre V8 version will let you take the fight to cars like the Audi S6 and the Mercedes’ E-Class AMG. This 400bhp S-TYPE R makes sixty from rest in just 5.3 seconds. The diesel S-TYPE is a massive car for Jaguar an on paper it looks like a winner, especially in Euro IV-compatible form. 206bhp, 435Nm maximum torque and 0-60mph in 8.1s are the figures that matter. As before, prices – though hardly cheap – look affordable when pitched against prestigious opposition and equipment levels continue to shade German rivals. All models get automatic dual-zone climate control, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, a 140-watt sound system (or better), alloy wheels and the usual complement of front and side airbags. The 3.0 V6 and 2.7D engines are offered in Spirit, XS and SE guises while the 4.2-litre supercharged unit is reserved for the R. Although the series of ultra-subtle styling revisions to the S-TYPE haven’t swung too many undecided buyers, reasonable sales figures suggest that Jaguar may not be overly concerned. Love it or hate it, what’s not up for debate is the fact that the S-TYPE is today a better car than ever.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Jaguar S-TYPE range PRICES: £29,085-£45,090 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 14E-18E CO2 EMISSIONS: 179-314g/km PERFORMANCE: [3.0 V6 man] 0-60mph 7.5s / Max Speed 145mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [3.0 V6 man] (urban) 18.5mpg / (extra urban) 35.1mpg / (combined) 26.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags, ABS, ARTS safety system WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4861/1819/1444

BIG WHEELS KEEP ON TURNING The Acquisition Of A Jaguar S-TYPE 2.7D To The Long Term Fleet Has Done Strange Things To Some Of Andy Enright’s Co-Workers

Never underestimate the hidden reserves of deviousness possessed by your work colleagues. They may seem affable, easy-going types who would spot you a generous turn but dangle the prospect of a Jaguar S-TYPE long-term car in front of them and they can turn all Soprano on you. The keys to the big Jaguar are passed around under tables, in smoky rooms and on the basis of future favours. It’s all very exciting.

Being naturally rather slow on the uptake it wasn’t until a week after it had been delivered that I even realised we had a long term Jaguar S-TYPE 2.7 diesel. It’s the sort of car you’ll want to keep to yourself, to treat to a cross-country blast or to merely waft to work in. Sharing the joy is a far tougher ask. I must admit to a certain flush of schadenfreude when a colleague grudgingly asked if I wanted to drive the Jaguar that evening, knowing full well that the vehicle he was going to be lumped with was a rather unappetising van-based mini-MPV. I could picture him sitting in the rush hour traffic with no air conditioning, sweat trickling down his lower back as he cast his gaze across acres of elephant grey dashboard seemingly fabricated from reconstituted sandwich cartons. I, on the other hand, would be taking the back roads home, the big diesel roaring in a suitably Wagnerian fashion. As it transpired I also ended up in a traffic queue but at least I wasn’t in a popemobile. It’s a handsome beast. Finished in black with beautiful 25-spoked alloy wheels it was gleaming upon delivery but after a heavy couple of weeks it’s looking as if most of the road grime from the M1 has found its way into the wheels and the rear bumper assembly. Great streaks of water-borne muck trail down the rear three-quarter so it was an opportunity to give the car a thorough clean. The wheels themselves are almost impossible to clean without a pressure washer but otherwise the S-TYPE is a very pleasant car to run a sponge over and the interior - once divested of the typical detritus of motorway living - looks a treat.

"This S-TYPE is the sort of car you’ll want to keep to yourself"

It’s out on the open road that this car really shines. It’s tough to get much less than 40mpg on a run and the engine is magnificently refined. In fact, I’d say it’s more hushed than the big Audi A8 4.2-litre we had in alongside it with just a trace of wind noise and tyre rumble evident at typical motorway cruising speeds. Extend the engine a little further and you’ll hear a distant bellow – more akin to a decent V6 petrol engine than what we’ve come to expect from a diesel. In town, the Jaguar isn’t quite so polished. The first thing to grate was the front parking sensor that beeps as you nose up to a car in a traffic queue. At first I tried to drown it out with the stereo, but after half an hour of bleeping and chiming I pulled to the side of the road and consulted the manual as to whether it could be disabled. Fortunately there’s a rather obscure looking button mounted up near the dome light on the roof that does just this and I could continue my journey without being deafened by Jonathan Ross. The other issue that arose is the car’s low speed tractability. Once rolling at a fair lick the S-TYPE feels great, but when starting from standstill – especially on a hill – it’s a little reluctant to get going, being particularly easy to stall. For a car with a pair of turbochargers, there’s quite a degree of turbo lag. Don’t lazily attempt to pull out from a T-junction into moving traffic in second gear. You’ll be faced with a good few seconds worth of opportunity to see the whites of the following driver’s eyes as you wait for the Jaguar to get going. The electronic handbrake also takes a little getting used to. Featuring second-generation common-rail fuel injection, this engine can crank out a hefty 435Nm of torque. A CO2 emissions figure of 189g/km will be extremely attractive to those corporate buyers looking for a car that will offer top-drawer prestige without the complementary kick in the current account. Performance is reasonably strong, the sprint to sixty taking a smidgeon over eight seconds and the maximum speed is comfortably in excess of 140mph. That performance isn’t quite in the top bracket of executive diesels but is nevertheless enough to provide plenty of entertainment. A great deal of thought has gone into the construction of the 2.7-litre diesel engine. Many diesel-engined cars are compromised by a powerplant slung way over the front axle that weighs about as much as a bullion train. This has some severe effects on the car’s handling, the slightest glimpse of a deviation from the straight and narrow resulting in stodgy understeer. The S-TYPE’s diesel engine is constructed from compacted graphite iron (CGI) to ensure outstanding strength, durability and above all low weight. Because less material is needed to build a CGI engine block, the engine can also be shorter. The result is that the 2.7-litre engine tips the scales at just 202kg – only 15kg more than the equivalent petrol V6. You’ll notice this nimbleness on the road. The S-TYPE really does feel like a compact car and it engenders plenty of confidence on twisty country roads. I remember driving one of the first S-TYPE models to arrive in the country back in early 1999 and wondering why anybody would possibly pay the premium over a Rover 75 for one. A number of revisions have completely changed the feel, if not the look, of the S-TYPE and it’s now genuinely one of the front ranking executive choices when it comes to handling. The long-term S-TYPE 2.7D has certainly got off on the right foot. Now all I need to do is to concoct some spurious fault with the car and convince the rest of my colleagues that it’s gone back to Jaguar for a lengthy repair. That’s if they haven’t thought of that one first…

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Jaguar S-TYPE 2.7 diesel range PRICES: £30,005-£34,505 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 14E CO2 EMISSIONS: 189g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.1s / Max Speed 143mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 40mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side & curtain airbags, ABS, ARTS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4861/1819/1444

BLACK PUMP BRUISER Jaguar Award-Winning Diesel Engined S-TYPE Is Now On Offer In Euro IV Guise, Reports Andy Enright

Jaguar’s S-TYPE diesel took ages to arrive on the market but it’s made quite an impact since it has. Now on offer in Euro IV guise, it’s a car that no diesel-orientated Executive class buyer can afford to ignore.

Developed as a joint venture between Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroen, the twin-turbo 2.7-litre AJD-V6 engine originally benefited from the considerable expertise of engineers at Jaguar’s Whitley Engineering Centre, very much a finishing school for engines. Though 206bhp is on tap, what the Jaguar team really concentrated on with this car was offering the sort of hushed NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) package that buyers of petrol powered Jaguars have traditionally demanded and become accustomed to getting. Unique dual isolated engine mounts and a final drive assemble designed to soften the take up of torque combine with a double-skinned sump and an elastomer-isolated composite cam cover to ensure nothing but velvety progress. In Euro IV guise, fuel consumption and CO2 figures have improved as a direct result of achieving the improved emissions status figures this car now offers. The combined fuel consumption for the 2.7D manual is 41.5mpg whilst the CO2 figure for the S-TYPE diesel manual saloon decreases from 189g/km to 179g/km. Peak power and torque of the S-TYPE 2.7 Diesel remain the same, but there are a number of other modifications that have ensured compliance with the Stage IV emissions regulations. An advanced fuel injection system utilises higher injection pressures and enhanced injector spray patterns. Calibration of the electronically actuated turbochargers, exhaust gas recirculation system and port deactivation systems is revised and a new engine management calibration has been introduced in order to provide better throttle response. Additionally, a catalysed diesel particulate filter (CDPF), which results in further effective exhaust emission purification, is fitted as standard, further reducing emissions. Prices start at £30,005.

"Without a diesel engine, the S-TYPE was fighting with one arm tied behind its back"

Featuring second-generation common-rail fuel injection, this engine can crank out a hefty 435Nm of torque, more than the 4.2-litre V8 Jaguar petrol unit, yet the diesel betters its consumption by a massive 47 per cent. Fuel economy on a leisurely cross country drive the figure will sometimes exceed 50mpg. Performance is as strong as you’d expect from a 200bhp+ diesel engine, the sprint to sixty taking a smidgeon over eight seconds, regardless of whether you choose the six-speed manual or the six-speed automatic, and the maximum speed is comfortably in excess of 140mph. A great deal of thought has gone into the construction of this engine. Many diesel-engined cars are compromised by a powerplant slung way over the front axle that weighs about as much as a bullion train. This has some severe effects on the car’s handling, the slightest glimpse of a deviation from the straight and narrow resulting in terminal understeer. The S-TYPE’s diesel engine is constructed from compacted graphite iron (CGI) to ensure outstannding strength, durability and above all low weight. Because less material is needed to build a CGI engine block, the engine can also be shorter. The result is that the 2.7-litre engine tips the scales at just 202kg – only 15kg more than the equivalent petrol V6. The latest round of revisions meant that all models received the sporty bumper and mesh grille from the S-TYPE R along with the six-speed automatic transmission, rear parking assist, leather seats and a leather steering wheel. Further showroom temptations include automatic dual-zone climate control with a combined odour and pollen filter, a 140-watt Hi-fi sound system, alloy wheels, front fog lamps and the usual complement of front and side airbags.Trim levels run from Spirit through XS to SE. If luxury is a great priority, then across the S-TYPE range, there’s an optional voice-activated control system which enables you to given spoken commands to the climate control system, the stereo and the 'phone (which now has an integrated keypad). It also works on the satellite navigation system, which can respond to traffic congestion when calculating your route. You'll also like the little touches like the headlights which turn on automatically. Or the Smart Locking system which makes it impossible to lock your keys in the car. The Jaguar S-TYPE 2.7-litre diesel automatically makes the rest of the range look a little extravagant. It’s tough to find a significant chink in the armour of a car this good.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Jaguar S-TYPE 2.7 diesel Euro IV range PRICES: £30,005-£34,505 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 14E CO2 EMISSIONS: 179g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.1s / Max Speed 143mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 41.5mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side & curtain airbags, ABS, ARTS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4861/1819/1444

CORPORATE CAT Jaguar’s 2.7D Makes A Strong Case For Itself Where Company Car Users Are Concerned. Steve Walker Reports…

All too often, the main reason for business users choosing a non-German executive car is precisely because it’s not German. It’s understandable that some hard-working executives want a touch of individuality when pulling into an overwhelmingly Teutonic company car park but it doesn’t really say much for the various executive car manufacturers who don’t hail form the land of bierkellers and bratwurst. Can’t they get their products selected on the basis that they are better than the German alternatives? For a long time, the answer was a painfully despondent no but times have changed and Jaguar’s S-TYPE 2.7D is one car that can take the fight to Audi, BMW and Mercedes on objective grounds.

Let’s not discount the subjective completely. Jaguar has profited over the years from its British roots and its old-school, wood and leather, pipe and slippers pedigree. It’s not the sort of image that beguiles younger buyers but it’s something altogether different from the clinical efficiency purveyed by Germanic rivals. In more recent times, the brand has been seeking to inject a touch of youthful sportiness in a bid to appeal to a wider demographic. It’s a move that has been only moderately successful but then, Jaguar is unlikely ever to out-sporty BMW. With the traditional values enhanced by a touch more dynamism, Jaguar can still engender plenty of car park cachet but while this will get them so far, it’s the capabilities of the products themselves that will seal most deals. This is exactly why the 2.7D S-TYPE has been such a vital car for Jaguar. Forget about brand engineering, this is the real thing – a model that can stand objective comparison with the best that Ingolstadt, Munich and Stuttgart have to offer. Packing 206bhp at 4,000rpm and 320Nm of torque at just 1,900rpm, the 2.7D 6-cylinder twin turbo engine stacks up very nicely. Audi’s 2.7-litre TDI A6 has only 175bhp and 280Nm while Mercedes’ E280 CDI manages 190bhp and 325Nm. The BMW 3.0-litre diesel engine is a big hitter that out classes the Jag but it’s significantly more expensive. In fact, only the markedly less powerful Audi is comparable on price.

"The refinement of the 2.7D engine is arguably its stand-out feature"

We’ve been living with the 2.7D S-TYPE for a good three months and it is a genuinely impressive vehicle. Performance is strong for such a substantial piece of machinery with the 0-60mph sprint clocked at 8.1s and a 143mph top speed but neither of these figures convey the car’s key characteristics. The pick up at very low revs is actually rather lethargic and when pulling out of T-junctions, you soon learn to let the revs built before releasing the clutch. Once you’re operating at around 1,000rpm, however, there’s huge wave of torque waiting to be released under the right foot. This S-TYPE feels at its strongest when overtaking or accelerating up to motorway speeds and there’s great flexibility in almost any gear. It all encourages a relaxed driving style and the automatic gearbox is highly adept. This is a diesel car and this may not be the last time that you’ll need to be reminded of that fact. The refinement of the 2.7D engine is arguably its stand-out feature and certainly in a different league from oil-burning models of old. The powerplant remains remarkably hushed when cruising with hints of wind and road noise the only things that really disturb the tranquillity in the heavily-leathered cabin. Even when you floor the throttle, the engine’s audible response is a distant and muted one, it’s easy to end up travelling a whole lot faster than you realise in the deceptively quick S-TYPE. Business users will be keenly interested in the S-TYPE 2.7D’s running costs and the choice of gearbox has a major input here. We’ve established that the automatic is the preferred choice from a driving perspective but if your prime concern is cutting costs, the manual starts to look tempting. The manual car’s 179g/km CO2 emissions figure rises to 208g/km with the auto – enough to increase that Benefit In Kind taxation bill by a pretty penny. Then there’s the average fuel economy which goes from an excellent 41.5mpg in the manual car to a less attractive 36mpg. With the auto option also commanding a £1,350 premium, there’s a tough decision to be made. The S-TYPE suspension is tuned for comfort rather than truly sharp handling but comfort is what most executive saloon buyers want for 90% of the time and what traditional Jaguar buyers want for 100% of the time. That’s not to say that the S-TYPE isn’t fun to hustle along a contorting B-road. It is, the steering is accurate and body control is good, it’s just that the finely-honed responses of models like the 5-Series make the Jag feel just a little soft by comparison. That’s even true with of our model which had the sports suspension pack fitted - it stiffed up the ride and made fast cornering more enjoyable but still retained the all-important comfort levels. The S-TYPE’s interior is an impressive piece of work. There’s the classy Jaguar ambience but the designers have managed to integrate the technology that is no essential in a top-line executive saloon without overcomplicating the control interface. The basic controls are at your fingertips rather than buried in the depths of some labyrinthine computer menu system and that will appeal to company car users who have still to master the intricacies their VCR. The electronic parking brake takes some getting used to but otherwise, the controls are intuitive and the build quality is strong. The S-TYPE’s role in the grand scheme of the executive car market will remain one of an alternative choice to the mainstream German brands. Business users who don’t want to join the massed ranks of Audi, BMW and Merc drivers will love the Jag’s image and individuality. The great thing about the 2.7D S-TYPE as far as Jaguar are concerned is that it can also compete with the sector’s best on more prosaic grounds. Fuel economy, refinement, emissions, price or performance, they all stack up. Drivers who’ll be choosing their next model with a calculator will also find much to like about this Jaguar.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Jaguar S-TYPE 2.7 diesel range PRICES: £30,005-£34,505 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 14E CO2 EMISSIONS: 189g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.1s / Max Speed 143mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 40mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side & curtain airbags, ABS, ARTS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4861/1819/1444

PEAK PERFORMANCE A Trip To The Staffordshire Peak District Told Us Plenty About Jaguar’s S-Type 2.7-Litre Diesel. Steve Walker Reports…

A lengthy motorway journey followed by a close encounter with some twisty, undulating B-roads, it was a trip with all the ingredients to provide an accurate impression of an executive saloon’s true abilities. The Peak District was the destination and Jaguar’s S-Type 2.7-litre diesel was the car.

The general consensus of opinion pre-trip was that the big black Jaguar would devour the motorway mileage with a flourish and barely a flicker of its fuel gauge. The Peak District’s serpentine back roads, it was thought, would present more of a test for such a big smoothy - putting the cat firmly amongst the pigeons. In the end, that’s just about how things panned out but there were more than a few surprises along the way. Like most cars of its ilk, the Jaguar S-Type is well equipped to soften the hard edges of long distance motorway travel. Leather, wood, chrome, the interior is typical Jaguar with expanses of the marque’s favoured materials apparent at every turn. Even where plastics are employed they are plastics cunningly doctored to give the effect of leather, wood or chrome. The result is a relaxed, quality, drawing room ambience - a cocoon of tranquillity for the bothered executive and an ideal environment in which to undertake a trip of a few hundred miles or more. Two-zone climate control prevents cross-cabin arguments about who’s too hot and who is not. Meanwhile, the Alpine-branded sound system provides the entertainment and the satellite navigation system deals a terminal blow to the tired old road atlas. Actually, we took the tired old road atlas anyway - past experiences have taught that a healthy mistrust of satellite navigation is often, well, healthy. Just 50 miles in and it was apparent that motorway cruising is a walk in the park for the S-Type. Concerns that the car was prone to horrendous wind noise proved unfounded once we realised that the sunroof was very slightly open and the suspension was obliterating the carriageway expansion joints to impressive effect. Even in top gear slot, a prod of the throttle rapidly puts on the 10mph you need to bypass a pair of overtaking HGVs and when it’s time to rest those feet, a spell of cruise control works wonders. The torque emanating from the 2.7-litre twin turbo engine, all 435Nm of it, means accelerating back up to speed out of heavy traffic is a breeze and even if you drop down to speeds of 40mph, the Jag will still pick up in sixth gear. The wonderfully smooth and lorry-free M6 toll road threw the satellite navigation system something of a curve ball. The on screen map showed us, clear as day, ploughing across open fields and farmland with no road in sight. The audio instructions calmly requested all kinds of illegal manoeuvres every time our cross-country course intersected a local B-road that did appear on the map. An updated mapping CD in the boot-mounted drive would have solved the problem but so did the deactivation of the system’s voice commands and on rejoining the M6 proper it soon regained its bearings.

"On our trip, the car went the whole way (nearly 500 miles) on a single tank."

The roads around the village of Warslow in the Staffordshire Peak District could have been created expressly to upset the equilibrium of a large executive saloon. Winding across the landscape connecting clusters of small stone houses, the narrow tracks twist up inclines and plunge into shallow valleys. These roads would ask big questions of a well-balanced roadster - an observation conformed when a convoy of day-glow Vauxhall VX220s, complete with grinning drivers, blasted past in the other direction. The Jaguar fared better than many people would imagine here. The suspension still soaks up the undulations and ruts to a great extent, which can be a little disconcerting, but when you ask it to brake in a hurry or turn sharply around a dry stone walled hairpin, it does so with reassuring agility. The gearbox isn’t slick enough for this kind of driving and finding the required ratio quickly can be difficult. It’s also far too easy to push the lever over into reverse when looking for first or second gear. Performance-wise, the 2.7-litre engine is a real pleasure to punt around. It’s smooth and quiet but when you stir it up there’s genuine bite to the acceleration. 0-60mph in 8.2 seconds is the official performance figure but powering out of a corner up a Peak District hillside, the flexibility of the powerplant makes it feel considerably quicker than that. The S-Type’s handling on some taxing but enjoyable roads felt very secure, which is more than can be said for yours truly during a night at Warslow’s Greyhound Inn. The 17th century pub was brimming with character and hospitality but the landlord’s spirited rendition of the ghost story attached to the building did little to facilitate a good night’s sleep. Still, £35 a night for a well-appointed double room and breakfast seemed excellent value. The next morning it was a short drive through rolling hills bordered by streams and criss-crossed by the dry stone walls to a destination that would put the S-Type’s high speed manoeuvrability firmly in perspective – Alton Towers. With names like Nemesis, Submission and (I can hardly bring myself to type it) Oblivion, the rides at this theme park lead you to suspect that you’re in for something mildly unpleasant but the reality made the Greyhound ghost story seem like an episode of The Tweenies. When you’ve had your sense of direction turned inside out by the dizzying Spinball Wizzer, been fired headfirst through the woods by Air and endured a 50ft vertical drop into a misty pit on Oblivion, the S-Type’s cosseting interior was a joy to collapse into for the drive home. The trip proved that the big Jag is more than a long distance cruiser. It’s actually very capable in the twisty stuff for a car of its considerable size. The gearbox wasn’t conducive to quick, fluent changes but the engine was outstanding for powering up the Peak District’s many inclines, traction was near faultless and the chassis remained poised on some testing thoroughfares. S-Type buyers will be pleased to know that their cat can cut it cross-country but there’s no doubt that the motorways and A-roads are its preferred habitat. Effortless performance, well-crafted interiors and a quality ride all help here but the biggest draw of all for Jaguar S-Type diesel customers will be the fuel economy. On our trip, the car went the whole way (nearly 500 miles) on a single tank. That’s better than 33mpg and that’s very impressive for a big executive saloon being driven reasonably hard.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Jaguar S-TYPE 2.7 Diesel Travel Story PRICES: £30,005-£34,505 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 14E CO2 EMISSIONS: 189g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.1s / Max Speed 143mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 40mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side & curtain airbags, ABS, ARTS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4861/1819/1444

APPOSITES ATTRACT? Though To Some The Idea Of A Hot S-TYPE Is About As Fitting As That Of Inspector Morse On A Micro Scooter, Jaguar Have Unleashed A Potent Performer. Andy Enright Reports…

Even if ‘the most powerful Jaguar saloon ever’ tagline fails to pique your interest don’t stop reading now. After all, the Jaguar S-TYPE R model is a good deal more than just mere horsepower figures, although with 400bhp at its disposal, it attracts column inches almost as readily as Max Clifford on time and a half.

To put that into perspective, that’s a whopping 67bhp clear of the mighty six-litre V12 Jaguar XJR-S that once strode like a Colossus through the ranks of early nineties GT cars. The S-TYPE R’s 408lb/ft of torque also betters its antecedent’s 365lb/ft showing and even delivers a sound leathering to contemporary rivals. At £45,090 the Jaguar also undercuts the super saloon competition.

"When the S-TYPE R’s engine really gets its trousers on it cranks out figures that full-on exotica like the Ferrari Testarossa would find impossible to match."

Nevertheless, it’s probably the Browns Lane offering that packs the most overt visual punch. A blade-edged rear spoiler arcs across the bootlid and 18-inch five-spoke wheels remove any doubt that this is a serious performance tool. In the latest facelift, many established R styling cues were filtered down to the rest of the range. The S-TYPE R’s performance credentials are underlined by the quality of the standard equipment. Massive Brembo brakes haul the heavyweight Jaguar from its 155mph electronically limited top speed with retina-detaching efficacy. Sports suspension beefs the ride up, but not to an unacceptable level, and then there’s CATS, an acronym that was just looking for a home at Jaguar. Computer Active Technology Suspension we’ve seen before on performance Jaguar models, but the S-TYPE revises things yet further. In this instance, CATS uses uprated springs to prevent body roll and electronically controlled two-stage adaptive dampers for ride refinement. This means that when entering a low speed corner, CATS automatically adjusts the rear dampers slightly before the front dampers to cut understeer so that your turn into the corner feels sharp and darty, but at high speed it reverses this trick to prevent those heart-in-mouth high velocity oversteer scenarios thus giving a reassuringly stable feel. CATS will also stiffen the front suspension under braking to prevent dive and do the same to the rear under hard acceleration to reduce tail squat. A sure sign of progress is in the ZF automatic gearbox. Whereas 1992’s Jaguar XJR-S was fitted with a three-speed auto, the 2002 S-TYPE R gets a six-speed box with intelligent features such as the ability to hold a ratio throughout a corner. This prevents that unsettling moment suffered by automatic cars of yore when you’d be powering through a corner only for the gearbox to lurch upwards onto the next cog, leaving you with armfuls of impotent understeer to contend with. As you will have realised this S-TYPE is far cleverer than that. It’s a good deal better looking inside too. Along with the rest of the S-TYPE range, the interior has come in for a makeover. The instrument panel now features round chronograph dials and a pair of LCD message centres. Racing green dials and grey bird’s-eye maple veneer add a touch of visual drama to the cabin, and Jaguar’s big touch screen LCD panel is available as an option. Leather sports seats and a leather-trimmed R Performance steering wheel are standard fitments, the seats boasting 16-way adjustability with a memory function on the driver’s side. It’s the engine that’s the star though, capable as it is of flinging the S-TYPE through sixty mph in a mere 5.3 seconds, and the mechanically driven Eaton supercharger serves up 32% more torque than its normally aspirated sibling. At only 1300rpm, the supercharged engine is already developing more torque than the naturally aspirated version at its peak, a trick that even twin turbochargers installations, have never managed to pull off. When the S-TYPE R’s engine really gets its trousers on, it cranks out figures that full-on exotica like the Ferrari Testarossa would find impossible to match. It’s fair to say the S-TYPE range enjoyed a mixed reception. The S-TYPE R is the car that should always have spearheaded Jaguar’s mid ranger. It’s Jaguar back to their dashing, cavalier best, doing things their way and blitzing the opposition. Suddenly being sent to Coventry just got that little bit more appealing…

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Jaguar S-TYPE R PRICES: £45,050 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 19 CO2 EMISSIONS: 314g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 5.3s / Max Speed 155mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 15.3mpg / (extra urban) 30.5mpg / (combined) 22.5mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags, ABS, ARTS safety system WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4861/1819/1444