I THOUGHT A test of the Jaguar S-Type 2.5 was going to be a chore. The car, good as it is, would be hopelessly underpowered with its, essentially, Ford Duratec engine.
I last drove an S-Type on Ford's Michigan proving ground, back-to-back with its platform-sharing brother, the Lincoln LS. The Jaguar had a four-litre V8 under its bonnet and the familiar J-gate shift lever in the centre console. It was very impressive and has always been high on my list of desirable motor cars.
The latest S-Type features a three-litre V6 or the new 2.5-litre version. A 4.2-litre V8 is available in other markets, but for Hong Kong the V6 is the preferred option. The new 2.5-litre power-plant develops a creditable 201 brake horsepower (150kW) at 6,800 rpm, while its hefty torque output peaks at 250Nm, and at a lazy 4,000rpm.
So the latest S-Type is powerful after all, but never gives that impression. It is lively and responsive, whether you use the J-gate to shift manually or leave the six-speed, German-built automatic to its own devices. The S-type has a top speed of 225km/h while the benchmark 0-100 km/h sprint takes less than 10 seconds. Traction control is standard, as is dynamic stability control (DSC). The latter is claimed by its makers, Robert Bosch, to be the single most effective safety system on any vehicle. An interesting statistic here: 50 per cent of all German cars are fitted with DSC, while in France it is 20 per cent and in Japan and the United States it is only 10 per cent.
The interior of the Jaguar is very English: a subtle understatement throughout and a 'gentleman's club' feeling every inch. This subtlety is carried through to such items as the sport switch for the transmission. Instead of a light coming up on the dash that tells you the car is now in sport mode, a tiny red lamp on the actual switch is the only notification.
There is an electronic parking brake, operated by a tiny lever in the centre console. It locks all the wheels electronically but is released immediately the accelerator is depressed again. On the 2.5 SE the memory pack for the electrically operated driver's seat also repositions the exterior mirrors and the steering column.
Competition in this segment of the market stems predominantly from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, with possibly Audi's A6 also a threat.