Vehicle: 2006 Jaguar X-Type 2.1 Sport sedan
Price as tested: HK$369000

Performance: Unlike the North American spec, the X-Type is also available with an entry-level 2.1L DOHC 24-valver V6. This engine is based on the Duratec V6 engine family but it has been detuned from 2.5L to 2.1L. If you thought 2.5L already felt underpowered, this 2.1L is a really slow driver. Everything from throttle tip-in to transmission upshifting are extremely slow. Its also very noisy given its Jaguar status. The most terrible thing is its maximum torque arrives at 4 grand, even if it has 171 pounds feet of torque. That means its slow off-the-line and very unwilling to rev through the redline. The 5-speed auto transmission is sluggish for both up and downshifting. Not to mention its J-gate is awkward to use as with other Jaguar J-Gates. While its a worthwhile tradition for an old school carmaker like Jaguar, this J-Gate has become an obsolete design that is unergonomically to use in 21st century.

Handling: As with other X-Types I have driven, the 2.1 Sport is as dynamically unremarkable as 2.5 and 3.0 in the past. The ride comfort feels floaty at high speed while bouncy at low speed. On the other hand, the so-called sports suspension doesn’t give out any sporty character while pushing hard into corners. The steering feels stiff but totally unresponsive and imprecise. Body rolls and understeer are your closet companions if you happen to drive X-Type hard, terrible with sports suspension and unimaginable with standard setting. The only saving grace is the stiff chassis that is solely based on the Ford Mondeo. The problem is X-Type has the right chassis on the wrong hands given Mondeo’s superior handling dynamics.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and ABS, X-Type’s braking is possibly the strongest suit in this unremarkable car. Stopping distance is short while the pedal feels solid and firm.

Interior: This X-Type Sport has a new interior trim called Piano wood which looks quite tasteful. Along with the Connolly leather seats, the Piano wood is the remaining area in this baby Jag’s interior that scored with nice material. The rest of the interiors have been hammered by cheap switchgears with loose fittings. On the other hand, the Conolly leather seats are comfortable. Thankfully, Jaguar finally assembled X-Type’s leather with proper stitch linings after so many years with wrongful craftsmanships. As usual, its interor is cramped and tight. Back seat has nearly nil legroom and trunk space is another joke.

Conclusion: After driven all the gasoline X–Type models, it doesn’t come as a surprise that this baby Jag is a flop. This 2.1L just makes a terrible driven car worse. Hopefully Jaguar will finally woke up with the upcoming X-Type replacement as competition in this segment is really tough. A4, 3-Series, C-Class and IS are all top contenders that are very hard to beat.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 JAGUAR X-TYPE 2.1 SPORT SEDAN
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Performance: 1/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 2/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2/5