The Western Morning News publishes an informative motoring section every Friday, and is well worth a look

Power and style from big Cat's diesel

Jaguar fitted a new" 2.7‑litre oil ‑burner into its S‑Type last year.  John. Powell reports on the impact it has. had.

JAGUAR has taken the development of the diesel engine a stage forward with the 2.7‑litre twin turbo V6 to be found under the bonnet of the best‑selling S‑Type.

Pumping out 206bhp it pushes the car to 60 mph in a tad over eight seconds when linked with the six‑speed manual gearbox with a ‑top speed, say Jaguar, beyond 140mph. ‑ .

Probably just as important as raw performance is the fact that C02 emissions are as low as 189 grammes per kilometre ‑ an important consideration for the tax‑conscious business user these days and fuel economy is a remarkable 40mpg when both urban and long‑distance motoring is cornbined‑ Even in town you can expect around 29 mpg. ,

Add to that the growing importance of the diesel market in the UK (up by more than 30 per cent last year and still growing) and the fact that 40 per cent of all premium sector cars sold across Europe now have a diesel engine and you can understand why Paul Walker Jaguar's chief programme engineer says that the 2.7 engine is "critical" for the future of the company.

Even without it, the S‑Type ‑has, proved a phenomenal success,‑‑ even though the cheapest you can buy is the £25,770  2-5‑litre V6 petrol version (the top‑of‑the‑range R costs £49,995).

The S‑Type has played a big role in the company's fortunes

It has recorded well over 206,000 sales worldwide since it was launched m 1999 and has played a huge role in the turnaround of the company.

The new diesel S‑Types slot in between the top and bottom priced

Petrol cars with D, S and SE models available

 Revised in 2002, the big saloon was again given a few changes by the engineers in Jaguar last‑ year, with subtle exterior design alterations and‑ the likes of, a lighter, aluminium (rather than steel) bonnet.

Inside were new instrument dials and a wider choice of colour and trim and, for the first time on an S‑Type, an aluminium fascia (rather than wood) for the Sport and R models.

Then there were  five new wheel styles, adaptive cruise control, and the option of front parking assistance.

For the new diesel engine Jaguar has retuned the suspension dampers and revised the spring rates to give an excellent ride. S‑Type innovations that pass

,on  to the diesel cars include an electronic parking brake which replaces the handbrake lever, A switch on the centre console applies the brake and it comes off automatically when you move off. With automatic transmission the‑brake is even applied automatically when the ignition key is removed‑ The pedals are electronically adjustable, depending on the length of your leg and can be programmed with two memorised positions for different drivers.

Servotronic variable‑ratio  power steering, powerful all‑disc brakes with traction control, ABS anti‑lock and Emergency Brake Assist are standard across the range. Standard on the R cars and an option elsewhere is the CATS(computer active technology suspension) system for perfect ride and handling. ‑CATS uses electronically controlled two‑stage adaptive dampen to keep everything on the straight and narrow. Safety in such a high performance car is important and die S‑Type is fitted with adaptive restraint technology which uses ultrasonic sensing devices to monitor the position of the front. passenger, the passengers weight, the position of the driver in relation to the steering wheel and even whether seatbelts are being used.

In the event of a crash the information is used to decide on the extent of airbag deployment. There are front and rear side curtain airbags and anti whiplash head restraints.

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