The S-Type is the third car in Jaguar's current lineup. A 2000 model, the Jaguar S-Type went on sale in May, but wasn't expected to be widely available until June. It joins the XJ8 and XK8 as Jaguar's smaller car, though it will end up being the middle of the range in a few years when a baby Jag joins the brood. The S-Type is aimed at the BMW 5-Series. It is a little bigger and heavier than the German car but sells for slightly less money. Jaguar's S-Type is powered by a choice of a new 3.0-liter V6 producing 240 horsepower or a 4.0-liter V8 producing 281 horsepower.
The only way to differentiate the two models is by the small "3.0" or "4.0" badges on the rear trunk lid and by the number of spokes in the alloy wheels -- the 3.0-liter model has eight spokes while the 4.0-liter has 10 spokes. The S-Type 3.0 starts at $43,080 with a long list of standard features. Options include power memory seats, moonroof, premium stereo system, sport package and a weather package. An optional communications system includes voice activation for the radio and telephone along with a navigation system. None of them are necessary as even the basic model includes all the features one expects in a luxury car. The S-Type 4.0 starts at $48,850. In addition to the bigger engine and different wheels, the 4.0 model includes a power/memory package that costs $1900 for the 3.0 model.
The rear-wheel-drive S-Type sports an all-new platform with independent suspension all-round. Traction control is standard and an optional computer-controlled adaptive damping ride and handling control system, appropriately called Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS), switches the shock absorbers between soft and firm based on road conditions and vehicle dynamics. Another system, Dynamic Stability Control, or DSC, links the brakes, steering and traction control system to help control vehicle movement that could lead to oversteer (skidding of the rear wheels). This optional system helps the driver maintain control of the vehicle in slippery conditions.
Although the S-Type looks much smaller than its bigger brother, it is actually very close in exterior and interior dimensions to the XJ8. It is about 6 inches shorter overall but the same width. Inside there is a tad more room in some areas, such as rear seat legroom, than there is in the regular XJ8. The S-Type is not really a small car by any stretch of the imagination.
It is fairly common knowledge that the S-Type platform has been developed in conjunction with the upcoming Lincoln LS model. Because of this, cynics might say the Jag is nothing more than a tarted up Lincoln, but in reality the two cars look and feel very different. At the front, there's no mistaking the S-Type as anything other than a Jag. It has two large and two small headlamps along with an oval radiator grille that sticks prominently forward such that its lower edge is right at the front of the bumper. From the rear the S-Type has a nicely crouched stance -- as though the cat is about to pounce. It has trademark triangular-shaped taillights.
Jaguars have always had a unique smell -- something to do with the leather no doubt. If you've enjoyed this aroma you'll be disappointed, as the S-Type doesn't smell different from any other new luxury car. Nonetheless, it does have a unique character inside that largely separates it from its closest competitors. It starts with the dashboard that stretches across the width of the car rather than wrapping the driver in a cockpit-type environment. The lower center of the dash is arranged in a distinctive semi-circular panel; it is a bold design element that draws mixed reactions -- some love it, others don't.
This panel, which is finished in a smooth glossy metallic-looking finish, contains the automatic climate controls, sound system and optional navigational system display. The instrument pod contains just a fuel gauge and water temperature gauge besides the speedometer and tachometer. All told it is a pleasant design, but not as exotic as Jaguars of the past.
