Review of the new Jaguar X-Type Sport Premium

To say the Jaguar X-TYPE has been burdened with expectation is a bit like saying the Lusitania had a problem with damp. Still, work your way up the range to the 3.0-litre Sport Premium model and you shouldn't be disappointed. Having said that, whilst Coventry would love to get the jump on the Germans, the competition is white hot. The small matter of the Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class and perennial favourite, the BMW 3 Series, all stand between the X-TYPE Sport Premium and the top place on the sports executive podium.

The fact that this 'X' is tilting at the top spot at all is quite something, given the quality of the opposition and the fact that Jaguar had no real experience competing in this sector of the market pre-X-TYPE. What Jaguar does bring to bear is a rapidly growing reputation for quality, elegant styling and one of the most evocative and prestigious badges of them all. The success of the S-TYPE gave Jaguar's designers and engineers the confidence and backup from parent company Ford to put a cohesive, fresh package together that will appeal to the thirty-somethings who look set to constitute the X-TYPE Sport Premium's target audience.

For some customers, the X-TYPE's success will be virtually guaranteed by its stunning styling. The Sport Premium opts for a chrome finnish on its revised mesh grille and rubbing strips, along with a subtle rear spoiler and seventeen-inch alloy wheels. There are three engine choices including 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre diesels but it's the 3.0-litre V6 Sport Premium we're looking at here, available only in estate form.

"Whichever way you look at it, market and finance favour the Jaguar."

Distinctive, yet undoubtedly a Jaguar, the X-TYPE 3.0-litre Sport Premium estate is priced at £29,995, a level which nuzzles up comfortably against the Audi A4 quattro 3.0 Avantt and the BMW 325i Sport touring. Take any of these cars in isolation and you'd be right on congratulating yourself on an informed choice. Truth is there's not a duffer amongst them, the differences in dynamic ability being thin to say the least. On paper the X-TYPE looks strong. The 3.0-litre 231bhp engine that lurks beneath the bonnet is impressively powerful.

Underneath that svelte body lies something of an engineering revolution for Jaguar. Unlike lowlier models, this X-TYPE is fitted with four-wheel drive as standard, so Audi's Unique Selling Proposition in this sector now firmly booted into touch. This adventurous move is prompted by the desire to attract a more youthful clientele looking for a dynamically capable car.

With that four wheel drive system, perfect weight distribution, class-leading power outputs and the input of some of the best chassis engineers in the business, few industry observers doubt the X-TYPE 3.0 Sport Premium's ability to meet and possibly exceed these projections. Compared to Jaguars of the past, even the most cursory inspection of the X-TYPE reveals levels of quality and engineering that the Coventry firm could never have dreamed about fifteen years ago. Despite the backup from Ford, the X-TYPE is a largely British undertaking, although you'd never guess looking at the ergonomic prowess of the interior.

Though the X-TYPE looks ostensibly similar to the way it was when originally launched, it has in fact changed quite a lot in recent years. When this car was first launched, its interior set new standards of quality and, indeed, modernity for Jaguar. What's particularly impressive is the way that Jaguar have managed to blend traditional touches like wood veneers and chrome cappings with modern must-haves such as multi-function LCD screens, airbags and multi-speaker audio systems. That's a tall order, and the X-TYPE manages it better than most. The cabin certainly feels more special than many of its rivals, and has premium product design cues all over it.

Owners familiar with earlier X-TYPEs will notice revised frontal styling that includes a redesigned '3D' bright mesh grille, complete with Jaguar 'growler' emblem. There are restyled front bumper covers, a bright 'splitter' in the lower air intakes and a neat roof-mounted Antenna Pod to replace the previous aerial. What Jaguar hopes is a 'lower, sportier profile' is also underlined by cleaner, more modern side mouldings. There are revised door mirrors too, which now incorporate the indicators (probably making them fearsomely expensive to replace). Revised alloy wheels and a wider range of colour options complete the improvements.

As the range-topping standard bearer for the X-TYPE sports brand, the 3.0 Sport Premium Estate couldn't have hand picked a tougher market sector for its baptism. It can't expect to win every battle, but nevertheless, most will feel that it's got what it takes to meet Jaguar's lofty expectations. In attracting a new profile of buyer into the Jaguar 'family', the company should be congratulated. In producing a car which speaks volumes for British manufacturing, we should all be proud.