Jaguar X-TYPE 2.0 litre V6 S
Certain trends in car manufacturing we could do without. Thankfully car designers have now got over the brief vogue for fitting huge bug-eyed headlights to their cars and three spoke wheels are hopefully a thing of the past. Other fashions are a little more welcome, one of which is the tendency for manufacturers to insert an equipment-stuffed value model into their range. Jaguar have hopped on this particular bandwagon with the X-TYPE 2.
0 V6 S model and its good news for the likes of us.
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This adds 17-inch X-Sport alloy wheels and automatic air conditioning to the entry-level models tally which for many buyers would alone be worth the additional £1,000. But the list goes on. Factor in metallic paint, a reverse parking sensor, split/fold rear seats, electrically folding mirrors, a stereo upgrade plus a cup holder and carpet mats and you have yourself quite a deal. Whilst there will always be buyers queuing up for the £21,595 Sport version, the inclusion of the S model makes paying £23,695 for the clubby X-TYPE SE look a little extravagant.
"If youre looking for a first step on the Jaguar ladder, this is the place to start."
Still, its a tactic that has worked well for Jaguars paymasters Ford and theres no reason to see why it wont translate into a superior bottom line for Jaguar. Value editions of Fords Mondeo such as the Verona were periodically introduced as short-term weapons to boost sales with considerable success. It seems that private buyers were especially attracted to the extra value embodied by such cars. The Mondeo link is perhaps apposite as much of the X-TYPE 2.
0 V6 models front wheel drive underpinnings are based on the Ford mid ranger. Still, this has proved no impediment to sales success quite the opposite in fact as the Mondeo chassis is held to be probably the best in the business. Thirty years ago, the notion of a Jaguar gaining credibility by being based on a Ford would have been utterly beyond the pale. Things change, however, and the Jaguar X-TYPE 2.
0-litre V6 is a prime example of the shifting power balance among the serious automotive players. Ford, as you are aware, own Jaguar. The British company figures in a portfolio of manufacturers that also include Volvo, Lincoln, Aston Martin and Land Rover an elite selection of marques that Ford labels the Premier Automotive Group. Times are tough for expensive cars and at the 2001 launch of Jaguars X-TYPE, much discussion centred on the four-wheel drive platform fitted to the 2.
5 and 3.0-litre V6 models. When, people wanted to know, would a less expensive two-wheel drive system be mated to a smaller engine so that the baby Jaguar could be priced to appeal to a wider range of buyers? The X-TYPE 2.0 was the answer to that question.
The saving in question was not quite as much as many buyers hoped for, given that you lost four-wheel drive and substituted a 190bhp engine for a 157bhp one. It also initially proved a more difficult proposition for dealers to sell, given that the X-TYPE ranges chief advantage over the market-leading BMW 3 Series - all-wheel drive was effectively relinquished. Still, the fact that the entry-level car ducks under the psychologically significant £20,000 barrier is doubtless important. The S trim level offers less engine than a comparable Audi or Mercedes but a good deal more equipment.
You pays your money Anyway, lets consider that engine. The two-litre is in fact a 2.1-litre six cylinder unit cranking out 157bhp. Whilst thats a fair figure for a normally aspirated two-litre mill, its by no means spine tingling, and goes some way to explaining the pragmatic approach to the cars drive configuration.
The space efficiency and light driveline weight of the front-drive layout led Jaguars engineers to a natural conclusion. With all-wheel drive, the X-TYPE 2.0-litre would be something of a sluggard. If the front-wheel drive Ford Mondeo chassis layout were utilised, power to weight ratios would remain respectable.
And so it proves. Able to hit 60mph in 8.9 seconds and keep going until 130mph, the X-TYPE 2.0-litre V6 is a sprightly performer.
Advanced engine features such as continuously variable cam phasing and a four-mode variable geometry intake manifold ensure a broad measure of torque. The engine has to be revved hard to get the best performance out of it, but it responds with an urgent metallic zing that is certainly in the finest Browns Lane tradition. The Jaguar X-TYPE 2.0 V6 S is an intriguing proposition.
Quick enough to entertain and with a hefty complement of equipment it looks to have what it takes to shift in respectable numbers. The only possible reservation is that this car is priced and equipped a little too aggressively for its own good, possibly cannibalising sales from the plusher SE model or the more upmarket V6 all-wheel drive X-TYPE versions. Still, as worries go, thats a nice one to have. If youre looking for a first step on the Jaguar ladder, this is the place to start.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Jaguar X-TYPE 2.0-litre V6 S
PRICES: £20,995 - £22,165 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 219g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.9s / Max Speed 130mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 22.2 / (extra urban) 39.6 / (combined) 30.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, side curtain airbags (front/rear), ABS with EBD, traction control WILL IT FIT IN MY GARAGE?: Length/width/height 4670/1790/1390mm
