The supercalifragilisticJaguar S-type

IF there is one automotive nameplate

that evokes as much driving passion

and excitement as Porsche and Ferrari, it

is Jaguar, the pride of Coventry, England. It may not be as

popular, but it is just as salivating and probably a bit more

exotic. The mere sight of the leaping cat atop the front end of a

curvaceous Jaguar hood is enough to send any car aficionado

frothing in the mouth.

In case you don't have an

idea how exclusive Jaguar

ownership is, consider this:

There is a far greater

chance you will spot 10

Porsches on the road than

you will a single Jaguar on

any given day. Fact is, few

people are even aware that

the English Feline has an

exclusive distributor in the

country, Jaguar

Philippines, which has a

serene showroom at Enzo Building on Gil Puyat Avenue in

Makati.

Jaguar Philippines gave the car industry a cause for

rejoicing-which is hard to come by nowadays-with the press

preview last week of the newest Jaguar model, the S-type, and

its subsequent official launch at the Forbes Park residence of

the British ambassador last Tuesday. The S-type joins the XJ8

and the XK8 in the Jaguar lineup currently available on the

market.

First, a bit of history. The S-type concept landed on Jaguar's

drawing boards as early as 1995. The goal in its creation is

simple: Provide a much cheaper, smaller Jaguar to compete

head-on with BMW's 5-series. Jaguar wanted to tap the

promising market made up of young professionals. It may be

safe to assume that Jaguar's parent company, Ford-which

bought the British sports carmaker in 1989-had a lot to do with

the decision to reach out to a wider and younger market.

In designing the S-type, Jaguar looked far back into its past.

Specifically, Jaguar gazed intently at the classic Mark II 3.8

sedan which it built from 1959 to 1967. The inspiration gave

birth to a stunning blend of elegant styling cues with modern

sporty looks. The twin-headlamp layout with the 13-toothed

grille was unmistakably drawn from the Mark II. And the name?

Jaguar refused to resurrect the "Mark" cognomen because it is

more identified with another Ford luxury brand, Lincoln. Add to

this the fact that the S-type shares the same platform and certain

key components with the new Lincoln LS.

Jaguar opted instead to revive "S-type," the name of a little

known four-door Jaguar sedan built from 1964 to 1968.

Incidentally, S-prefixed car names seem hot these days.

Mercedes introduced the new-generation, alien-looking S-class

last year, while Honda just released its all-new S2000 roadster

earlier this year (Honda Cars Philippines even released a limited

sporty version of the City, also called the S-type, last year).

The objective of a smaller car resulted in a more petite set of

dimensions for the new S-type: overall length of 4,861 mm;

overall width of 1,819 mm; overall height of 1,444 mm; and a

wheelbase of 2,909 mm. The moderate measurements and sporty

design, however, cannot camouflage the S-type's oozing class

and luxury. If Jaguar initially aimed this car at young

professionals, it would be a complete failure over here, where

even CEOs might not find the hefty price tag appealing (For the

price of one standard V6 S-type, you can buy one Lincoln Town

Car and two Honda Civics for your two teenagers).

The S-type ushers in the arrival of Jaguar's first-ever V6 engine,

courtesy of Ford and shared with the LS sedan. The 3-liter V6

has a maximum power of 240 hp, a maximum torque of 300 Nm,

and a top speed of 226 kph (automatic). That's the engine

available here, although the 4-liter V8 version is available by

indent. The standard V6 variant being marketed here has a

five-speed automatic transmission, a special request made by

Jaguar Philippines since elsewhere the standard V6 is mated to a

five-speed manual gearbox. It's another indication that what is

considered an average sedan in Europe and America already

functions as a top-of-the-line luxury saloon here.

The S-type's engines are all-aluminum with lightweight valve

gear. They feature electronic throttle control and engine

management system.

Front suspension consists of fully independent, double

wishbone axle with aluminum control arms. Rear suspension

makes do with the same mechanism with the addition of an

isolated steel crossbeam mounted to the body by four bushes.

The 10-spoke, 16-inch alloy wheels reveal the S-type's large

ventilated discs in both front and rear. The S-type is equipped

with ABS and electronic traction control.

Inside, front seats are eight-way power adjustable. Also, front

and side airbags for both driver and front passenger are

standard. So is the central locking and security system with

ultrasonic intrusion sensing and engine immobilizer.

The standard V6 sells for P3.85 million, while the V8 goes for

P4.85 M. For the truly discriminating, there is also the Special

Equipment 3.0 V6 with sunroof as one feature; it costs P4.2 M.

According to Jaguar Philippines sales manager Suzette Limchoc,

they expect to move 25 S-type units until the end of the year.

Well, Jaguar certainly is not looking to the yuppies to reach

their sales target, is it?