Marco, despite his name, is not Italian, but he has more than enough appreciation of style to confirm the national stereotype of his forefathers. And he loves the Jaguar S-Type."You didn't tell me you were bringing one of these!" he exclaimed, and delayed our meeting by several minutes to appreciate every line and curve in the swooping bodywork. I offered to take him for a run round the block, but he preferred to stand on the pavement and gawp.The S-Type does that to people. Personally I'm not a great fan of throwbacks to past eras - either a car was built in the 1960s or it wasn't, say I - but I accept that I may be in the minority on this one. Onlookers smile appreciatively, which is always good for one's mental well-being.The test car was fitted with the 2.5-litre V6 engine (the smallest available but by no means lacking in performance), six-speed automatic transmission and the SE trim which distinguishes it from the base-model S-Type we tested a few months ago.Externally, you can tell an SE from its 16" Spirit alloy wheels. But most of the Special Equipment (correct, that's what SE stands for, 10 points) is on the inside. S-Types generally have a fair smattering of wooden inlays, and the SE doesn't really have much more (apart from the steering wheel rim and the gearknob), but it's more obvious here because of the colour, which is described in the promotional literature as "rich, bronze stained bird's eye maple veneer". You get the idea.The front seats can be fiddled around with far more than in the base model. At the touch of one button or another you can adjust the driver's seat in eight ways, the passenger's in six. The seats do not look as supportive as those in the Sport, but they're quite comfortable enough for the purpose.The steering wheel includes audio, telephone and cruise control buttons, while the positions of the wheel, seats and door mirrors (which have a power fold-back option) can all be memorised and recalled when appropriate. Apart from that . . . oh, yes, there's a cupholder, too . . . apart from that, the SE is basically the same as the standard model.It doesn't have the stiffer suspension found on the cheaper but less highly equipped Sport, and to be honest that's fine by me. I've never been greatly convinced by Jaguar's efforts at firming up the springs and dampers (except in the case of the wonderful S-Type R). I prefer these cars to waft along and make bumps in the road evaporate before they reach the occupants. The SE does this superbly, in a way that no car except another Jaguar can quite achieve.In days gone by this sort of ride quality might have been accompanied by vague steering, but not here. The front end doesn't feel darty, but it's far more precise than it first appears.Approach a corner, ease the steering wheel round a degree or two, using the lightest fingertip pressure, and then leave it. The front suspension quickly settles into position, and, as long as you haven't made a bloomer in judging the angle, the S-Type will take the corner without needing any more input from you until the road straightens up again. This is not one of those luxury cars which need constant guidance across the apex because the handling is too woolly to let you pick a line and stick to it.That contributes quite a lot to the generally relaxed air of the S-Type. The audible reverse warning system and the electric handbrake lever mean that you can even park the car with a minimum of effort. Although a recent spate of failures has made most of the CARkeys staff a bit nervous about fancy electronic stuff (especially when it's concerned with something as important as the brake system), the Jaguar's handbrake worked perfectly at all times and was a welcome gizmo.I would have told Marco all this, of course, but his eyes had already glazed over, and it was obvious he wasn't paying attention to anything but the shape. Typical. You can take the man's family out of Italy, but you can't take Italy out of the man.Second opinion: In each of the price ranges where it's represented, you can't beat Jaguar for interior ambiance, although that's maybe the wrong word to use about a manufacturer which majors on oh-so-British appointments and materials. Some of the Continentals use wood and leather as if they were doing a first-year college design exercise, but Jaguar's way with these materials is as smooth as the finish of the veneers. Incidentally, the woodwork ahead of the front passenger acts as a sometimes rather off-putting mirror in which the driver, glancing across, sees reflections of trees and buildings whizzing past where least expected. I'm still not a fan of the J-gate selector, but once it's up and running the 2.5 automatic goes more smartly than the 0-60mph time suggests. Oh, yes - very stylish too. Ross Finlay. Engine 2497cc, 6 cylinders Power 201bhp Transmission 6-speed automatic Fuel/CO2 27.4mpg / 249g/km Acceleration 0-60mph: 9.4 seconds Top speed 140mph Price £28,900 Details correct at publication date
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