Our Down-Under correspondent John Weinthal
has really been doing well in the luxury stakes. A couple of
weeks ago it was the S-Type Jaguar, next week it is the
Maserati coupe and there’s an Alfa in there somewhere too.
This week it was Jaguar’s entry-level car, the FWD, two
litre X-Type. Here’s what John thought of it.
Jag
X-Type
"The last Jaguar I drove was the
entry-level 2.5 litre V6 engined S-Type. The S is Jaguar’s
mid-sized series, equivalent to an E Class Mercedes or 5
Series BMW. I was mightily impressed with this smooth, utterly
British AUD 85,500 car. That’s a heap of money to most of us
but there are customers for such cars and much more expensive
ones. But while not every car at this level is necessarily
something one would want to own and drive regularly, the
S-Type Jaguar certainly is.
"After the S-Type I keenly anticipated
driving the smallest Jaguar, with Jag’s smallest engine in
more than 40 years at least. This is the new Jaguar X-Type -
Jaguar’s answer to the likes of the 3 Series BMW and
Mercedes C Class in particular.
The
Jaguar X-Type’s interior
"It costs just under AUD 54,000
(expect that to be around three point something million baht
here) with manual gears, and has a 2.1 litre 117 kW V6 engine.
A five-speed auto adds AUD 2500 making it pretty much the same
as these two competitors. However, the Merc and BMW entry
engines develop only 105kW - more than 10 per cent less than
the Jag.
"Until now all X-Types have been
all-wheel-drive. They have offered a 145kW 2.5 V6 or a 172 kW
3 litre V6 - and they cost from AUD 70,000 up to AUD 80,500 -
pretty much the same as the upper 3 Series and C-Class sedans.
"But the little V6 Jag, alone among
this trio, is front-wheel-drive. However it is so neutral in
everything it does that I defy any driver to discern that from
the driving experience. Not once over my week with the car was
there the faintest indication which wheels were doing the
pushing or pulling - it is that good!
"It is also blessed with as fine a
chassis as any in its class. The Jag has exemplary steering
feel, great bump absorbency and a fast flat ride through
corners. It is a joy to drive as far as all the basic dynamics
go.
"While the Jag is no racehorse, except
when compared with the BMW and Merc at this price, it cruises
as comfortably and effortlessly as one might hope of any
leather-lined, wood-trimmed British Club elegant Jaguar.
"But there are many cars at around the
AUD 50,000 mark with at least 140kW topping out around 180kW
for such delights as the Subaru Liberty B4 and Mitsubishi’s
Ralliart Magna. (Neither of these cars are on sale in
Thailand.)
"However, relatively low power has
never hindered the success of the BMW and Merc. There’s so
much to heritage and masterfully nurtured badging. This is
what will really distinguish the Jaguar X-Type from the common
herd.
"Now for the list of not so hot things
about the Jag. First it has no left foot rest for the driver
and I cannot understand how such an otherwise beautifully
equipped little luxury car can be offered without a rear
centre arm-rest. It has such irrelevant things as automatic
headlights and rear mirror dimmer for heaven’s sake.
"The test car also had the optional
satellite navigation. As on the S-Type it was occasionally
sufficiently inaccurate that I would never order it. This is
nothing to do with the system I imagine - just the mappers Jag
have chosen for Australia.
"And, most unusually for any Jaguar
including the sports models, there is quite audible engine and
road noise. This is typical of the class the X-Type competes
in but absolutely unlike any other Jag.
"Overall I loved my week wafting
around in this X-Type Jaguar, but I don’t think I would be a
buyer of this entry level model, even though it is clearly
more potent and better equipped than its two most obvious
competitors.
"It’s classy and a terrific drive
until one really wants the urge of a large engine. Many people
would never want or need this I am sure and they will be at
least as happy as the status-conscious crowd who own 3 Series
and C-Class badgemobiles."
