The S-Type, introduced in 1999, was Jaguar's first foray into this area of the executive market since the late 1960s, revisiting the territory of the original S-Type and the late '60s "Inspector Morse" Mk II and priced competitively against the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class. Its styling alludes strongly to its predecessors but some find it less than convincing from certain angles and a bit too retro for its own good.
When the S-Type was launched, it soon became clear that it was less polished than it should have been. The disappointing interior was poorly detailed, the V6 engines were a little unsophisticated and the car's ride and handling weren't quite a match for the best of the opposition. However, Jaguar revised the car in 2002, improving handling and quality no end, and the minor facelift for 2004 has cleaned up the over-fussy styling and further sharpened up the suspension.
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