Orlando Sentinel's view

Heritage. You hear that word often from European luxury manufacturers. And you’ll be hearing it more in the coming months as the world’s automakers move some important new cars — namely the new Ford Thunderbird, MG sports car, BMW Z07 and Austin Mini — closer to market.

Japanese automakers don’t talk much about their heritage. And there’s a good reason why. There isn’t much to say. Before the 1960s, the Japanese auto industry barely mattered to anyone other than the Japanese.

And though such cars as the near-perfect Lexus LS400 and Acura NSX demonstrate the brilliance of Japanese engineers and their zeal for quality, these cars do not have a heritage, a lineage to some great classic from the past.

Heritage forms an important part of the new Jaguar S-Type. Looking over the graceful curves of the bonnet (that’s hood in Britspeak), the four headlights and that stylish grille, you can see where Jaguar’s designers turned for inspiration. The shape of the new S-Type is drawn from the original and from the old Mark 2s of the early and mid-’60s. The car is all new, but familiar. It’s instantly recognizable as a Jaguar.

Heritage is the trump card that will be played by American and European automakers now that quality, safety and technical innovations are about equal across the board. I believe it will be the skillful management of a brand’s heritage that largely decides the winners and losers in the luxury car wars in the next decade.

Styling is the one area which Japanese automakers have just never gotten it right. Of all the Japanese cars ever made, how many would you rank as classics? This may be important as buyers turn nostalgic.

Of course, while Japanese automakers may not have much of a heritage to fall back on, they do have a tradition. Theirs is one of quality and efficiency, which other automakers have learned to duplicate.

The new S-Type masterfully updates classic Jaguar styling themes, conveys that unique sense of British class in just the right measure and packages it all in a car every bit as well made as a Lexus.

It will be tough for Lexus, Acura, Infiniti and maybe even some European and American luxury car manufacturers to compete with the new S-Type, a car that has it all.

Performance, handling

Jaguar offers the S-Type in two versions. The base model, which starts at $41,000, is powered by Jaguar’s first V-6, a 3.0-liter, 24-valve, double overhead cam engine that makes 240 horsepower.

Our test car sported the optional 281-horsepower, 32-valve V-8. Both engines come with a five-speed automatic transmission designed by Jaguar and Ford engineers. Ford, as you may recall, bought Jaguar in 1989.

The S-Type is a fast car, capable of 60 mph in about 6.5 seconds. But it’s not so much the speed that impresses as it is the manner in which it’s attained. The S-Type is amazingly graceful no matter how hard you drive it.

When you press the accelerator, the engin e winds up fast and you can hear the lovely hum of the V-8 engine. In an expensive car it’s nice to hear the sounds of state-of-the-art machinery. Would a silent Porsche be any fun to drive? The sound of the Jaguar V-8 is one of the things that give the S-Type its unique character.

The engine never runs out of breath — at least not while you are accelerating up to the legal speed limit. Power comes on strong and steady. The transmission moves through gears almost unnoticeably.

The finely tuned four-wheel independent suspension system may be the best one I have ever tested in a midsize luxury car. The S-Type embodies the best traits of a BMW 5-series — sporty handling and tenacious road-holding — and the best trait of a Mercedes-Benz E320 — a quiet, stable and comfortable ride. It’s a near perfect blend of sportiness and luxury.

The suspension system erases most small bumps. The body undulates slightly over dips in the road. Most of the time you’re driving the S-Ty pe, the road feels as smooth as a billiard table.

The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering has a direct, firm and lively feel. The car sails through the tightest of curves without causing the driver the slightest trepidation. The four-wheel, power-assisted anti-lock disc brakes are good, although the ABS system engages a bit too soon for my liking.

All in all, I have not tested a more competent and satisfying car this year than the S-Type.

Fit and finish

As Jaguar has been absorbed into the Ford empire, quality has improved exponentially. Old, bad parts that broke frequently have been replaced with new, better parts that don’t.

And Jaguars are starting to be rated as high as Lexus and Mercedes-Benz vehicles in new car quality and customer satisfaction ratings. I believe the S-Type will be the highest quality Jaguar ever made.

This car is tightly built. The superstiff body feels unbreakable. Your feeling of confidence in the car is affirmed the first time you drive over bad roads and sense nothing unusual.

From the velvety smooth engine to the solid-as-a-rock body structure, the S-Type vanquishes any lingering doubts about Jaguar’s ability to design and assemble a world-class car.

The leather bucket seats are handsomely designed and provide excellent support. They are, of course, power operated. They come with a memory feature: Once the seat is adjusted to your liking, you press a button on the door panel and the setting is saved. This comes in handy in case someone else drives the car.

When you remove the key from the ignition, the driver’s seat slides back a few inches, making it easier to get out. This is a feature I didn’t care for. The constant back and forth motion of the seat every time the key was inserted and removed was disconcerting to me. So I turned it off by twisting a knob on the steering column. However, this feature might come in handy for larger drivers.

Rear seat room is adequate for regular sized adults — but not particularly roomy. The rear seats split and fold forward and flat once the headrests are removed. Because the trunk is large, there is enough space to place a full-size bicycle box inside the car.

The S-Type is packed with all the current de rigueur luxury features, such as dual zone air conditioning, six-disc CD player, power sunroof, cruise control, automatic headlights, rich wood trim and more.

As with most other Jaguars, the S-Type’s interior makes you feel good. The wood has that Old World crafted look to it, especially on the dash, where the word Jaguar is etched.

The analog gauges are cleanly styled, well-lighted and easy to read. They are surrounded by various warning lights. The S-Type comes with a full array of safety items, including dual front and side air bags.

Heads turned everywhere I drove the S-Type — and not just older heads that remembered the S-Type’s ancestors. I saw kids on bicycles stop an d look, and people in other cars asked me about it numerous times. Just about everyone liked the S-Type’s classy looks.

Few companies have a heritage as rich as Jaguar when it comes to styling gorgeous cars. The S-Type is a modern masterpiece. One hopes it’s also the start of a tradition of world-class quality.

2000 Jaguar S-Type

Base price: $48,000. Safety: Dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control and side-impact protection. Price as tested: $51,180 EPA rating: 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway. Incentives: None.