- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.5i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
145kW, 244Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 10.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2001 Jaguar X-Type review: X400 SE AWD
Jaguar's X-Type is its first attempt to seduce younger buyers while taking on the Germans at their own game the lucrative small luxury car market.
Pigeonhole: Jaguar's BMW 3 Series.
Philosophy: Bring a bit of British "jolly, super, what" to Generation X-ers.
Who's buying it: Jaguar says the car is designed to appeal to professionals in their 30s who are in the market for a Benz, BMW or Audi.
Why you'd buy it: For the badge cred and high levels of standard equipment.
Why you wouldn't: Despite the efforts of the marketing gurus, Jaguar still means old person's car. Purists will perceive it as a Ford Mondeo with a new skin.
Standard equipment: The 2.5-litre Sport is loaded: leather/cloth upholstery, power everything, climate-controlled air conditioning, CD player, 17-inch alloy wheels, the works.
Safety: Dual front and side airbags, traction control and secure handling thanks to all-wheel-drive.
Cabin: Cosy but not cramped. With that timber across the dash there's no mistaking this for any other car. The optional touch-screen display fitted to the test car, which controls everything from the phone and radio to the air conditioning, takes getting used to.
Seating: The seats are comfortable and all five occupants have a lap-sash belt but, annoyingly, a clutch footrest is absent from the driver's footwell.
Engine: A choice of 2.5 (145kW) or 3.0-litre (172kW) V6 engines. The 2.5 needs to be revved to get a move along and is quite thirsty for its capacity. Smaller engines in rival vehicles do the job as well if not better.
Transmission: Five-speed manual has a light and precise shift. Four-speed automatic available as an option on the Sport versions and standard on the luxury SE.
Steering: Well weighted and with plenty of feedback. Turning circle is 10.84m. Average.
Ride: On smooth freeways, fine. On Sydney's bumpity-thump roads the X-Type Sport is harsh even by sports car standards.
Handling: With all-wheel-drive, grips like a cat on carpet.
Fuel: The fuel efficiency rating label says 10.5 litres/100km around town and a frugal 6.6 on the highway but our real-world experience shows that this kitten loves a drink.
Brakes: In our opinion below par we sampled another X-Type to make sure. Take an Audi A4 for a test drive and then jump in the Jag and you may give yourself a fright.
Build: This is the second all-new Jaguar designed and built under Ford rule and early signs are good. But the driver's seat in the test car was loose.
Warranty: Three years/100,000km.
Security: Anti-theft immobiliser.
Audio: Above-average sound from AM/FM CD player.
Cost: Four models ranging from $68,150 to $84,450. Not cheap, considering what German rivals cost. Options include sunroof ($2,550) full leather upholstery ($2,000) satellite-navigation ($5,000) and voice control ($1,700).
Verdict: The X-Type is an honourable first attempt at tackling the lucrative small luxury car market. The reality is the Germans have been doing it better for longer and the X-Type needs to leap ahead of these cars if it is to succeed.