Jaguar S-Type R - Pictures

The Jag may look old-fashioned, but it’s still very fresh to drive. Limited suspension travel makes it feel taut and stable, yet perfectly honed damping and a stiff bodyshell ensure the best comfort and refinement here.

Apart from subtle supercharged badging on the dials and an R logo on the gearlever, the cabin provides precious little to get excited about. It’s much more upmarket than either rival’s, but doesn’t have their sense of

Practicality has never been the S-Type’s strongest card. The body styling includes a low rear deck, which limits luggage space. The Jag’s floor space is similar to the VXR8’s, but it’s lacking in height.

Even though the unit emits the least CO2 and has the best official economy, once the supercharger starts to work, it becomes very thirsty. And it’s difficult to resist that addictive shove in the back.

The S-Type R is happy to be thrown quickly into bends, where it proves well balanced and responsive. The only thing we would change is to add a limited-slip differential to stop the inside wheel spinning through slower corners.