by
Michelle Czarka
I
push down on the accelerator
and my vehicle responds instantly and confidently
as though it realizes the importance of having
a swift and stealthy pass through the obstacles
ahead. It hugs the corners and smoothly glides
over the rough terrain conquering each foot
with grace and strength. We soar across the
Martian landscape carving our way between
the army of soldiers. I concentrate on the
road ahead, a land beyond the reach of these
white giants, where I will be able to break
free of the restraints and express my individuality.
I take a deep breath and brace myself for
the unexpected. What I end up with is reality
but a pleasing one at that.
The Martian
terrain fades from my sight and I am traveling
along the I-10 through the Sonoran Desert.
I am carving my way through the world famous
Palm Springs Windmill Farm. And my stellar
mode of transportation is the all-new Jaguar
X-Type Sportwagon. Yes, I said Jaguar and
wagon in the same sentence. Jaguar’s
first ever production wagon – the X-TYPE
Sportwagon – puts Jaguar poised to pounce
on an new market segment where the big cat
marque has previously not been represented.
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The Sportwagon
is based on the X-TYPE sedan, but with a body
styling and structure all its own. Starting
at the B-pillars and flowing the length of
the roof to the rear tailgate – the
new X-TYPE Sportwagon offers an unrivalled
combination of luxury, refinement and versatility.
The elongated roof dips gently towards the
rear increasing the already plentiful rear
headroom. The new tailgate has a dynamic slope
to its rear glass, and a spoiler - strategically
placed on its top edge where it joins the
roof - helping to give the X-TYPE Sportwagon
a subtle, sporty side profile.
The X-TYPE Sportwagon’s
maximum volume with both rear seats folded
forward is an impressive 50 cubic feet. Even
with the rear seats in use, the X-TYPE Sportwagon
offers an impressive 15.7 cubic feet of luggage
volume to the bottom of the window level,
and 24.2 cubic feet to the roofline.
Split-folding
rear seats allow one, two or all three rear
seat spaces to be allocated to luggage-carrying,
so it is still possible to carry either one
or two rear-seat passengers even with the
seatbacks partially folded. The seats are
released by a simple latch in each seatback,
and can be folded forwards without removing
the rear-seat headrests.
The entire tailgate
can be opened like any conventional wagon,
either from a pre-programmed remote key fob
or via an electrically operated lock, controlled
by a concealed button. The separately opening
rear window can also be opened alone as it
features its own control options. Designed
with the driver in mind, the tailgate opening
and closing is assisted by a pair of gas-filled
struts and opens to a wide 88 degree angle
– perfect for easy use – and closes
to an all-new low bumper top, with very little
intrusion from the completely new rear lights,
which wrap around the new rear body sides.
The spacious
load area is fully carpeted and trimmed, and
to keep luggage securely in place and hidden
from view, there’s a retractable tonneau
cover that rolls out over the load area. The
luggage can also be secured with a standard
cargo net, which can be attached to the roof-lining,
to prevent smaller items like grocery bags
from spilling their contents. Larger items
can be anchored by tie-down straps that hook
onto the four strong, D-rings incorporated
in the luggage area floor. For added security,
a large, molded tray below the rear floor
contains two deep storage sections and is
accessed by lifting the trunk floor on its
hinges. This hidden compartment incorporates
a 12-volt output, making it perfect for charging
a laptop computer or digital camera while
being discreetly concealed.
On the outside,
fixed silver roof rails are fitted as standard
and a range of additional carrying systems
will be available, from ski clamps to roof
boxes, so buyers can select a system that
works best for their individual needs.
Like
the X-TYPE sedan, the X-TYPE Sportwagon is
engineered to deliver a supple ride with maximum
control and sporting dynamics, including exceptional
steering. Most aspects of the Sportwagon’s
suspension and electronic control systems
have been tuned to its specific needs, but
essentially the layout is unchanged from the
sedan. Its very compact packaging makes almost
no intrusion into the sides of the new load
area, and allows an impressively low trunk
floor, for easy loading and maximum luggage
volume.
The Sportwagon’s
power-assisted rack and pinion system provides
stability at any speed even with full cargo
load and maintains the comfort and strong
response that Jaguar vehicles have come to
symbolize. As I cruised the back roads of
the Santa Rosa mountains, the Sportwagon’s
precise steering made the curvy roads as navigatable
as straightaways.
“The area
of sport wagons is not one in which Jaguar
has previously competed – largely because
this class of vehicle didn’t sit well
with the marque’s core values of exceptional
refinement and a sporting drive,” explained
O’Donnell. “But the X-TYPE, with
its Traction-4™ all-wheel-drive system
and exceptional structural rigidity, has been
developed into an exceptional premium sport
wagon incorporating all the values for which
the marque is renowned.”
The impressive
227 hp V6 engine is the most powerful ever
offered in the X-Type line and is paired with
the Traction-4™ all-wheel-drive system.
And while its growls with power, the efficiency
is competitive in both fuel consumption and
emissions.
The compact and
durable yet sophisticated all-wheel-drive
system gives sure-footed handling at all speeds
and in all weather conditions while retaining
the positive feedback and precise steering
feel that are fundamental to Jaguar driving
dynamics.
The standard
electronic five-speed automatic transmission
gives optimum fuel efficiency as well as punchy
acceleration and refined highway cruising.
It is controlled by the latest version of
Jaguar’s traditional J-gate gear selector,
which offers manual control of the automatic
transmission for those drivers who prefer
to have greater control. When used in the
normal ‘D’ automatic position,
two selectable shift modes, Normal or Sport,
modify the way the transmission changes ratios
to complement different driving styles.
Alongside all
these comfort and convenience features, the
X-TYPE Sportwagon has the high levels of both
active and passive safety Jaguar buyers expect.
Active safety begins with an extremely strong
bodyshell, energy-absorbing impact zones and
class-leading chassis dynamics, including
Traction-4™ all-wheel drive.
The X-TYPE also
has a comprehensive passive safety package
that includes occupancy-sensing restraint
systems, adaptive dual-stage driver and passenger
front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags,
knee bolster airbag, side-curtain airbags
- for both front and rear occupants.
Front seat belts
have pre-tensioning and load-limiting functions,
and the rear seats offer three three-point
belts and adjustable head restraints. Also
for the X-TYPE Sportwagon, rear seat mountings
and release catch strength are designed to
exceed all legislative requirements on luggage
retention in case of an accident. Even the
vertical luggage net of the load cover system
is designed to keep the back of the X-TYPE
Sportwagon safe as well as tidy, and it meets
all requirements for luggage-retention performance.
In short, it is a car engineered
for maximum practicality with maximum driving
pleasure - a true Jaguar.
For
More Information Click: Jaguar
X-Type
For the Jaguar 2005 Model Guide : Click
Here
