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| 2004 Jaguar S-type | |
| 2004 Jaguar S-type interior | |
| Jaguar S-type | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Jaguar Cars |
| Production: | Standard S-type, 1963– 8: 25,171; 420: 9,801; 2000–present: not known |
| Class: | Saloon |
| Layout: | Front-engined, rear-wheel-drive |
| Predecessor: | |
| Successor: | Original model: Jaguar XJ6 Current model: still in production |
| Similar models: | |
| This article is part of the automobile series. | |
The Jaguar S-type saloon is a model of automobile that first began production in 1963, built by British manufacturer Jaguar. A new S-Type was introduced in 1999.
In marketing terms, the 1963 S-type was essentially a larger, plusher version of the company's popular Jaguar Mark II but sported innovations such as independent rear suspension, which it shared with the larger Mark X and the E-type sports car. It only shared one body panel with the Mark II, namely the bonnet.
S-types had either a 3.4 or a 3.8 litre engine. A larger 4.2 litre engine was introduced in a related model called the Jaguar 420 , which sported a grille that was reminiscent of the full-size Jaguar Mark X. The 420 was twinned with a more luxurious model called the Daimler Sovereign .
The original Ss were cancelled in August 1968 with the arrival of the larger Jaguar XJ6.
The S-type name was revived in 1999 (for the 2000 model year) on a new Jaguar, which remains in production at its Castle Bromwich facility in Birmingham, England. It is based on the Ford DEW platform, but with substantial modifications. The car was styled by the late Geoff Lawson . A minor facelift in 2004 smartened the car's overall appearance.
The rear-wheel-drive S-type is currently produced (as of model year 2003) with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed J-Gate transmission that allows automatic gear selection or clutchless manual gear selection.
From model years 2000 to 2002, the S-type was equipped with either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed J-Gate transmission.
The vehicle is powered by a variety of petrol engines (Jaguar intends to introduce a diesel model in the future). The 2.5 litre engine is not available for vehicles exported to the United States and Canada.