We have already talked about the S-Type Jaguar a little more than a year ago. But since I had the opportunity to drive it for a few days once again lately, I thought it would be interesting to write another few words on this great car.
It still is a great pleasure to drive the recent S-Type Jag. This car, as we now know, was engineered at the same time as the Lincoln LS (since Jaguar is now part of the Ford family of cars) and it is available with a 3.0-litre (Ford) V-6 or a 4.0-litre (Jaguar) V-8. The latter is the engine that powered my test car. The only transmission available is a five-speed automatic that can be operated like a standard shift box. This 281 horsepower V-8 has some 286 foot-pound of torque that helps the smoothness of the transmission. The sound of the engine barely changes under acceleration. Obviously, I rediscovered the remarkable road handling of this almost legendary car. Thanks to its optional P235/50ZR17 Pirelli tires, this English sedan sticks to the road even under hard driving. As far as the ABS braking is concerned, it is as powerful as the car is fast. By the way, Jaguar reminds us that reaching the 100 km/h mark from standstill is done in 7.1 seconds with the V-8 and 8.5 with the V-6.
To get behind the wheel, the driver really has to slide in because the roof is pretty low and the windshield very raked. But once in the seat, the driver has a beautifully executed dashboard in front of him including very clear instrumentation. Every control is easy to reach including the Voice Command if so equipped. Unfortunately, my test car did not have this option. The seats, in their typical British leather are as comfortable as expected and rear passengers have enough legroom. The only negative comment I would make would concern the large and raked windshield posts that block the forward visibility. The trunk is big enough and cargo capacity can be enlarged by folding the rear seat back flat. Fit and finish were simply perfect.
It still is a great pleasure to drive the recent S-Type Jag. This car, as we now know, was engineered at the same time as the Lincoln LS (since Jaguar is now part of the Ford family of cars) and it is available with a 3.0-litre (Ford) V-6 or a 4.0-litre (Jaguar) V-8. The latter is the engine that powered my test car. The only transmission available is a five-speed automatic that can be operated like a standard shift box. This 281 horsepower V-8 has some 286 foot-pound of torque that helps the smoothness of the transmission. The sound of the engine barely changes under acceleration. Obviously, I rediscovered the remarkable road handling of this almost legendary car. Thanks to its optional P235/50ZR17 Pirelli tires, this English sedan sticks to the road even under hard driving. As far as the ABS braking is concerned, it is as powerful as the car is fast. By the way, Jaguar reminds us that reaching the 100 km/h mark from standstill is done in 7.1 seconds with the V-8 and 8.5 with the V-6.
To get behind the wheel, the driver really has to slide in because the roof is pretty low and the windshield very raked. But once in the seat, the driver has a beautifully executed dashboard in front of him including very clear instrumentation. Every control is easy to reach including the Voice Command if so equipped. Unfortunately, my test car did not have this option. The seats, in their typical British leather are as comfortable as expected and rear passengers have enough legroom. The only negative comment I would make would concern the large and raked windshield posts that block the forward visibility. The trunk is big enough and cargo capacity can be enlarged by folding the rear seat back flat. Fit and finish were simply perfect.