| Somehow the thought of a diesel engine in a Jaguar just doesn’t seem right. Sure, there's plenty of performance in modern-day turbo-diesels, thus providing plenty of the pace for which Jags are famed. But refinement isn’t a diesel’s strong point. There's no doubt they're considerably more refined now than a few years back, but is that enough for traditional Jaguar buyers?
To find out we borrowed an X-Type Jaguar turbo-diesel saloon for a week-long road test and put it through its paces. Thought there's no doubt it’s a diesel when you hear the engine noise at idle, however the sound is generally well muted and that which does enter the car has a purposeful note.
Having a capacity of 2.2 litres, against the more typical 2.0 litres of engines in this class gives the engine an easygoing nature that suits the British marque. There's the inevitable lag off the line and when you ask the engine to accelerate when it’s running at low revs, but the engine’s 10 per cent extra capacity means this has been reduced.
Once the engine has reached a cruising state it provides serene motoring in a most relaxed manner that’s sure to appeal to those who have long loved their Jaguars. Not to mention those who are sampling the British marque for the first time as they consider moving away from the traditional German brands.
Adding an extra forward ratio to the automatic transmission, to bring it up to six, makes it easier for the engine to be working at its best. So once the car is moving and has passed through the lag stage it has plenty of grunt. In fact it’s almost a second quicker in the zero to 100 km/h sprint than the 2.1-litre petrol engine in the X-Type range (9.9 seconds versus a fairly lethargic 10.8 seconds). Though if you opt for the 3.0-litre petrol V6 the X-Type will jump to 100 km/h in only 7.5 seconds.
Fuel consumption isn’t always a factor in buyers’ minds when the pay in excess of $50,000 for a car, but more and more caring people are paying attention to their car’s carbon dioxide output, and the less fuel the car uses the fewer grams per kilometre come out of that exhaust pipe (184 grams for the 2.2 diesel; 239 g from the 2.1 petrol; and, surprisingly just 249 grams for the big 3.0-litre V6, the latter indicating the V6 is having an easy life in a light car like this).
Typically the Jaguar X-Type turbo-diesel will use only six to seven litres per hundred kilometres in the country, even less on motorways; while suburban driving should routinely be under 10 litres per hundred kilometres unless you have a real lead foot. 
Style has long been a major feature of all Jaguars and the latest X-Type certainly appeals. Its bright mesh radiator grille, quad-headlights and recently revised bumper theme give the prestigious Brit a front that works particularly well.
The X-Type’s cabin is a wonderful place in which to spend time. It has the traditional Jaguar leather and wood cabin decor, automatic air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and an automatically dimming interior mirror among many other modern features. Convenience features include automatic lights and windscreen wipers and reverse parking sonar.
Jaguar interiors have been revamped since we last drove the X-Type a couple of years back. It now comes with new seat and trim designs. Complementing these changes are new metallic highlights on the dashboard and instrument panel.
However, the cabin isn’t the largest we have ever seen in a Jag. This is a comparatively small car and really only provides seating for four. Legroom isn’t bad in the back seat, but check it for headroom before falling in love with all that leather and timber. Then again, Jaguars have always been low-slung sporting sedans so space above heads has frequently been at a premium.
Similarly, the boot is on the shallow side, though it’s long enough and wide enough to give it a decent volume.
Comfort is excellent and the handling is reasonably precise, all the more so when you realise that in this model the leaning is in that direction in the comfort-handling equation.
 Niggles inside the X-Type are the fitting of the blinker lever on the wrong side of the steering wheel. After all the Brits are smart enough to sit on the same side of the car as Australians and it’s a shame to see them making cars to suit the US and European buyers instead of their own citizens. If Opel can build Holdens with the blinker on the correct side, why can’t Jaguar?
It’s surprising not to get a left footrest in a car in this class. Some cars can get away without one, but we found the flat-ish floor of the Jaguar made for a sore left ankle after a while.
Other than these minor points we thoroughly enjoyed our week in the turbo-diesel X-Type and recommend that anyone in this class has it sitting somewhere on their short list.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
X-Type LE 2.1-litre four-door sedan - $53,990
X-Type LE 2.2-litre diesel four-door sedan - $55,490
X-Type Sport 2.1-litre four-door sedan - $58,190
X-Type Sport 2.2-litre diesel four-door sedan - $59,690
X-Type 3.0 LE 3.0-litre four-door sedan - $69,990
X-Type 3.0 Sport 3.0-litre four-door sedan - $74,190
X-Type 3.0 Luxury 3.0-litre four-door sedan - $76,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in all models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Stability Control: Standard in all models
Traction Control: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Jaguar X-Type LE 2.2-litre diesel four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.198 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 17.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 86.0 x 94.6 mm
Maximum Power: 107kW @ 3500rpm
Maximum Torque: 366 @ 1800rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4672 mm
Wheelbase: 2710 mm
Width: 1789 mm
Height: 1392 mm
Turning Circle: 10.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 1532 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 61 litres
Towing Ability: 750kg (1500kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, torsion control link, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 9.9 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Diesel
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 6.9 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: Not rated
Air Pollution Rating: Not rated
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km |
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