Jaguar cars introduced the S-Type in 1999. It was aimed at capturing a younger market for Jaguar’s new medium sized luxury saloon. The styling was envisioned to be a revival of the classic 1963 S-Type, but with a modern twist. Using Ford’s DEW platform, which was also used on the Lincoln LS and Ford Thunderbird, the S-Type used the suspension and drivetrain unique to Jaguar. 

The S-Type came with a range of engines to choose from, a 2.5 V6, 3.0 V6 or the larger 4.0 V8, 4.2 V8 and even a 4.2 litre Supercharged V8, and not forgetting the 2.7 litre V6. They were coupled to either a 5-speed manual, 5-speed J-Gate automatic or 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic, depending on the year. This particular model is the 2.5 litre V6, which produced 197 bhp and is capable of 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds, with a top speed of 142mph. 

Following the S-Type launch in 1999, it was given a makeover for the 2001 model with a revised dashboard, centre console and grille. There were also other little touches such as the flip out ignition key and the electric handbrake, giving the S-Type a much more modern feel when sat inside.

The seller of this lovely 2003 Jaguar S-Type 2.5 litre, purchased the car back in 2015. It had just 2 previous keepers and the last was actually a Lexus dealership. It had around 30,000 miles on the clock, and since then the it's only managed to clock up another 17,000 in the past 7 years. Even with such low mileage, the seller has made sure the Jaguar has been regularly serviced and been given an MOT by his local garage. 

This is an extremely reluctant sale by the seller, and has been forced upon him due to health issues, otherwise it would not be being sold.

The V5 is present and shows 2 previous keepers for the vehicle, and there are 2 keys present. 

The original Jaguar wallet is present, complete with the owner’s handbooks, audio instructions, security information and the service book, which shows 10 service stamps for the low mileage car. There is a nice amount of paperwork with the car from previous services and MOTs, all of which were usually carried out by the same garage. 

There is an MOT on the car which is valid until the 29th July 2022.

Inside, the Jaguar is in very nice condition. The sand coloured leather seats are in good order, with just some light wear to the driver’s side bolster which has cracked slightly with age. This could easily be recolonised if desired. The electric side of the seats is working as it should, enabling you to find the perfect seating position. The rear seat is in excellent condition and doesn’t look to have seen much use. The door cards, again, are excellent with no noticeable scuffs or wear. 

The dashboard and centre console are both unmarked and in excellent order. There is some light wear and a little bit of ingrained dirt on the steering wheel, which should clean off with a deep clean. The instrument cluster is working as it should with no fault lights displayed, and  the odometer is reading just 46,926 miles. The standard radio cassette is working as it should and is connected to a boot mounted CD multichanger. The heater controls are reported to be working as they should with no signs of any wear to the controls. 

The carpets, as you would expect, are unmarked. There is a set of mats to protect them and these are also in excellent condition. Up above, the headlining is spotless with no sagging to be seen. The only thing to mention is that the sunglasses holder doesn’t stay closed as it should. Into the boot, and again nice and clean. Lifting up the carpet shows the spare wheel, jack and wheel brace and tool kit.

Finished in the lovely Carnival Red, this 2003 S-Type Jaguar looks to be very original, and shows no signs of receiving any bodywork in its life which we could see. There are some age related marks in keeping with the age of the vehicle.

Starting at the front of the Jaguar, there are no excessive stone chips to mention. There are a couple of scuffs to the bottom of the bumper and a light scuff on the passenger side corner, which a polish may reduce. The lights have no chips to mention, on either the headlights or the foglights. There is some clouding to the headlights, which is quite common on plastic headlights and can be quite easily rejuvenated with a headlight restoration kit. The chrome on the bumper and grille surround is in good condition, with a bright finish. 

Moving around to the sides and these are pretty straight, apart from one ding at the bottom of the driver’s door, but your friendly paintless dent removal company should be able to rectify this. The windows look to be free from any scratches and the rubbers show no signs of perishing. On the passenger side there is a very, very light ding on the rear quarter, but again, the dent man should be able to tackle this. The doors align as they should and open and close with a reassuring clunk. 

To the rear there are no scuffs to mention, thanks to the rear parking sensors which are working as they should. The lights are in good order with no cracks to be seen, and like the front, the chrome highlights are in good order with a bright finish. 

The alloy wheels have a few age related marks and some brake dust which has proved quite stubborn to remove. There is one centre cap missing which is in the armrest storage. The caps themselves do have some water ingress which has discoloured them. The tyres are worn but have a good amount of tread remaining.

Fitted with a 2.5 litre V6, the seller reports that the car is running superbly and there are no issues to mention. The Jag fires up first time from cold, and sounds fantastic. It is reported to pull well through the automatic gearbox, and having one of the best gearboxes of the time, the change is silky smooth. 

There are no untoward noises coming from the suspension, and the ride is described as extremely comfortable. Looking in the engine bay, the aluminium intake has some surface corrosion as you would expect for this age, but is clearly not hiding anything, as it all looks to be untouched with a few cobwebs here and there. There doesn’t appear to be any oil leaks looking at the engine from the top or underside. The Jaguar brakes are reported to bring the car to a halt as they should, and show no areas for concern.

This 2003 Jaguar 2.5 litre V6 S-Type SE is a nice honest example. The smooth V6 is the perfect engine to give you the best of both worlds. Should you want to use it for cruising down the motorway or taking it at a slower pace around town, the 2.5 litre will accommodate your every need.

The inside offers a sense of luxury and class, with the added bonus of having the later model dashboard, and the electric handbrake gives it a more modern feel. The Jaguar S-Type is becoming increasingly popular, with styling similar to the classic Mk 2 Jaguar, and noted for being very reliable, this is one modern classic to watch out for.