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A Jaguar is
elegance personified, but the all-new S-Type is
elegance with an up-to-date twist. It is an
evocative stew of heritage styling,
state-of-the-art chassis and two thoroughly modern
powerplants. Toss in a huge helping of high-tech
gadgetry, add a few bits of leather upholstery and
stained maple veneer and the result is an
automobile that is quick and agile, yet tasteful
and sublime.
 The
name pays homage to the 1960s 3.8 S-type, as does
the retro styling. Although Jaguar is owned by Ford
Motor Co., the S-Type was designed, styled and
developed at Jaguar's Whitley Engineering Center in
Coventry, England. Manufacturing is done at Castle
Bromwich, near Birmingham, England. The S-Type
comes in two models, a 4.0-liter V8 and a 3.0-liter
V6. The V6 starts at $43,095 and the V8 begins at
$48,595. The basic platform, rear-wheel-drive
chassis and a good many mechanical bits are shared
with the Lincoln LS. While some kinship is obvious,
the cars have distinct personalities. Our test car
was a light, celery-green metallic V8. The aluminum
V8, with four valves per cylinder, variable intake
valve timing and 281 horsepower, is similar to the
one in the XJ8. It is so quiet and smooth that the
power comes out in oozes, rather than surges, and
that makes it deceptively quick.
 The
3.0-liter V6 puts out 240 horsepower. Although I
did not sample the V6 Jag, I have driven a V6
Lincoln LS, whose engine is similar except it has
30 less horsepower, and its performance was more
than adequate. Jaguar quotes zero-to-60-mph times
at 8 seconds for the V6 and 6.6 seconds for the V8.
Both engines are coupled to a new, electronically
controlled five-speed automatic transmission.
Except for a bit of whine when pulling away from a
stop, this unit was nearly transparent. A console
switch lets the driver select Sport or Normal shift
modes.
 The
J-shaped shift gate is a recent Jaguar tradition,
but its shape is confusing to us Yanks because
shifting into a lower gear means shoving the lever
forward, not back. The test car's shift linkage was
a bit sticky when moving into Reverse. While the
exterior styling pays homage to Jags of the 1960s,
the interior is considerably more modern.
Bird's-eye maple is used on the instrument panel,
shift knob, console, door panels and steering
wheel. Nearly everything you touch has that feeling
of slick, polished luxury. The lower center section
of the dash contains the stereo, dual-zone climate
control and navigation system. These units are
similar to ones found in some Fords, and their
tiny, green digital readouts are hard to see in the
daylight, especially if the dash is backlit.
Readability at night, or in shadow, is fine. The
test car was equipped with the Deluxe Communication
Package ($4,300) that included the navigation
system as well as voice activation for the cell
phone.
Front seats have
good lateral and lumbar support, but the bottom
cushions would provide better under-thigh support
if they were a shade longer or had a slightly
different contour. The back seat has adequate
legroom for adults, but getting in and out can be
tricky because of the sloping roof and tightly
curved door. The space between the seat and door
post is also small and requires turning one's leg
sharply to get out. The trunk has plenty of
room.
Jaguar describes
the S-Type as having ''spirited elegance,'' and to
that end it uses a double-wishbone suspension with
aluminum control arms and speed-sensitive,
variable-ratio rack and pinion steering. The
optional Sport package has 17-inch wheels and a
computer-controlled suspension that chooses "soft"
or "firm" settings depending on driving conditions.
Our test car was so equipped, and not only did the
17-inch wheels look great, the computer-controlled
suspension gave a ride that was plush enough to
dispatch bumps with a silky hand yet taut enough
for flat cornering. Anti-lock brakes and traction
control are standard, but for more control a
stability control program that helps counteract
skidding is a part of the optional Weather Package.
With the S-Type,
Jaguar has struck an appealing balance between
yesterday and today: The styling recaptures so much
of what made Jags special in the 1960s, yet
performance and handling is on par with
contemporary European sedans.
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Vehicle
Type:
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front-engine,
rear-drive, luxury sedan
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Base
Price:
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$48,595
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Engine
Type:
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4.0-liter
V8
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Power
(SAE net):
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281-hp
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Transmission:
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five-speed
automatic
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Wheelbase:
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114.5
inches
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Length:
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191.3
inches
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Curb
Weight:
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3770
pounds
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EPA
fuel economy, city driving:
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20
city/29 hwy
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