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How
do you measure an image? Jaguar defines its image
as "Passion." For a dozen years or so,
a revived Jag has fed an American taste for automotive
passion with a series of autos that have flaun
the tlook of subtle, flexing muscles under glossy
sheet metal as a chrome, leaping Jaguar hood ornament
announces its presence.
Most
Jaguars aren't entry level fare. That's the job of the X-Type
that has earned both devotees and detractors alike since
coming on scene at the end of the '90s. Seems that owners
just love to remind people they own a Jag, even if the British
company is now a
luxury marque owned by Ford Motor Co. (Never mind that GM
controls Saab, Toyota owns Lexus, Honda owns Acura, Nissan
owns Infiniti and German-based Mercedes-Benz and American
Chrysler are wed.)
As
an eight-year-old, X-Type is no slouch. For 2006, it gets
a splash of freshness with a sporty mesh grille in eye-catching
chrome. New 15-spoke, 16-inch "Antares" style
alloy wheels are added. And the entry level 3.0 sedan now
has connectivity for Sirius satellite radio and Bluetooth
wireless for hands-free mobile phones. X-Type won a four-
out of five-star rating in federal side impact crash tests,
adding kudos following last year's coveted initial quality
rating improvement from J. D. Power & Associates, the
bible of vehicle rating services.
X-Type
was expanded to four models last year, and now
includes the upscale VDP, Sport, and Sportwagon
that remains a puzzle for purist Jaguar aficionados
despite its road taming capability. The most accessible
model is the all-aluminum AJ-V-6 powered, 3.0
sedan ($32,995 base), undergirded with 227-horsepower
and a broad, powerful torque range for fast starts
and quick passing. It is aligned toward an agile,
athletic drive, touched with refined luxury. Among
standard X-Type highlights are hand-crafted leather,
toney wood trim (burled walnut on VDP), sliding
front armrest, five-speed automatic that senses
driving conditions and Jag's "Traction-4"
advanced all-wheel-drive. Others, depending on
model, include carbon fiber veneer, rain sensing
wipers, 320-watt Alpine Premium sound (VDP), and
the mandatory British Racing Green as a color
choice.
Rumors
persist the X-Type's days might be numbered in favor of
an eventual sportier small car from the legendary Brit auto
maker. For those who love a compact, entry lux auto with
a high dollar panache, athletic "driving machine"
rep and a sense of passion, those could be fighting words.
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