THE motoring marque Jaguar has for more than half a century been the watchword for sedate conservatism; in fact, it was more regal lion than feline jaguar. It was the car your granddad aspired to, the car British prime ministers of old — Harold Macmillan, Harold Wilson Ted Heath and Margret Thatcher — cruised from Downing Street to Westminster in, all the while studying their perennial Red Boxes from the refined leather upholstered back seat.

Not anymore! Since Tata acquired the ‘big cat’ in 2008 from Ford in a £1.5-billion deal, it has completely overhauled the brand and returned it to its racing roots. The cars now truly have the contours of a jaguar — all grace and elegance with standout good looks.

Tata has made a concerted effort to address reliability issues and have done a fantastic job, so much so that JD Power last year rated Jaguar as the “most improved” car brand in its quality rankings.

Speaking about the all-new Jaguar, under its Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) brand in the New York Times, Business Section, Tim Urquhart, a senior analyst at IHS Automotive in London said: “I think people were a bit sceptical and snobbish and maybe had some old colonial hangover. If you look at Jaguar now, it probably has the strongest product line in its recent history, if not ever.”

Founded in 1922, Jaguar cars today are designed in Jaguar Land Rover’s engineering centres at the Whitley plant in Coventry and at their Gaydon site in Warwickshire and are manufactured in Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich assembly plant near Birmingham. The cars are distinctly British retaining their engineering and interior design pedigree.

Great new model lines

The current models include: The XF,XJ,XK,R models, and the F-Type, which in effect replaces the legendary E-Type. After years of speculation, Jaguar designer Ian Callum confirmed last year that there would not be a Jaguar SUV, but suggested that he may be designing a crossover for Jaguar.

The Jaguar XF is a mid-size executive car introduced in 2008 to replace the S-Type. The XF was awarded the What Car? ‘Car of the Year and ‘Executive Car of the Year’ top prize. The XF has the honours of winning What Diesel? Magazine’s Car of the Year. It is available in a 2.2-litre I4 and 3-0 litre V6 diesel engines or a 3.0-litre V6 and 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines. The 5.0-litre engine is available in supercharged form in the XFR.

The Jaguar XJ is a full-size luxury saloon, which epitomises refinement and elegance. The car has undergone a complete re-engineering overhaul, which now makes it undoubtedly the best in its class. Beneath its shell lies a highly advanced aluminium construct that takes Jaguar into a class of its own. The fourth-generation XJ has a more youthful contemporary appearance – it is a car for the 21st century.

The Jaguar XJ is now outselling every other big luxury car in the UK apart from the Mercedes S Class.

Commenting on the new Jaguar XJ, BBC’s Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson said: ” “This is a bloody good car, modern and spacious where it needs to be but still sleek and cosy and wooden in all the right places. An old and much-loved record, now available as an MP3 download.”

The 5-litre V8 engine in the XJ Supersport can accelerate the car from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and has a UK CO2 emission rating of 289 g/km. This car is offered with a longer wheelbase (LWB) as an option, which allows for even more leg room.

In keeping with its racing history, the Jaguar XFR is the ultimate performance vehicle, with the XFR-S being the jewel in the crown.

With its all-new aluminium body shell and increased power to 510hp and enhanced computer systems, this baby can do 60mph in 4.6 seconds. Jaguar’s CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension), helps firm up the ride in sporty driving without compromising comfort during day-to-day use. This model comes in four distinct varieties – XFR 510 hp mid-size saloon, XFR 510 hp coupe and cabriolet, XFR-S 550 hp mid-size saloon and the XKR-S 550 hp coupe and cabriolet.

The F-Type convertible was launched at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, following its display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2012, and is billed as the answer to the legendary E-Type. Sales begin this year with three engine choices; two variants of the AJ126 V6 petrol engine and the AJ133 V8 petrol engine. Word-round-the-campfire is sprint king Yohan Blake has his eye on the new F-Type.

Back to racing form

Over the years Jaguar has built some of the fastest and most recognisable sports cars in the world. And it has always been keen for their potential to be demonstrated on the rack track as well as the open road. Jaguar Heritage Racing programme returned last year with Jaguar recalling the glory days when Sir Stirling Moss was all the rage in Mille Miglia, winning the 1952 Reims Grand Prix in his famous Jaguar C-Type. In the fifties Jaguar ruled at Le Mans. Jaguar again won Le Mans in 1990 with the XJR-12s and again returned to Le Mans in 2010.

As well as high-profile competition events, Jaguar now has a presence at prestige international showcases including the Pebble Beach concours d’elegance in California. Jaguar is once again calling on its racing legacy. As Frank Klaas, Jaguar Land Rover’s head of global communications put it: “We recognised that we weren’t doing enough to tell our story. Other companies are purely technology driven. We have that technology too, but we’re also driven by a unique history and emotion.”

Jaguar sales figures increase

It is not surprising that with the design and engine overhaul, Jaguar worldwide sales are increasing. Bob Grace, Jaguar Land Rover China president has reported strong sales of 4,300 cars for the first six months of 2012, in China. That’s nearly a 100 per cent increase over the same period in 2011. China is now Jaguar’s third-biggest market for the iconic British automaker, following the UK and North America. According to Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), for the first nine months of 2012, Jaguar delivered 42,000 car sales around the world, an 11 per cent increase on 2011’s figures.

ATL Automotive has built a reputation for representing and selling top performing premium cars and it comes as no surprise that Jaguar is in its stable. Admiring the Jaguar XF one would be forgiven for thinking that it would cost you a house in Jack’s Hill together with a price of an apartment in London’s Mayfair. You’d be wrong. This stylish thoroughbred can be had for a little over J$8 million, less expensive than a BMW X5.

So what is one getting when buying the new look Jaguar? Last year it was ranked number one in the JD Power/What Car? Customer satisfaction survey, knocking Lexus into second place. Lexus has being ranked number one for the last 11 years. The XF gained 15 places from 2011 to take Executive Car of the Year title, with the X-Type taking second place in the compact executive category.

The JD Power/What Car? Survey researched 18,000 owners, who rated their cars’ performance, design and comfort to quality, reliability, cost of ownership, economy and dealer service satisfaction after owning them for a minimum of two years.

JD Power’s top 10 car makers for 2012 came in as follows:

1. Jaguar

2. Lexus (joint second with Skoda)

2. Skoda

3. Honda

4. Mercedes Benz

5. Toyota

6. Audi

7. Volkswagen

8. Volvo

9. BMW

10. Nissan

One would be forgiven for observing that ATL Automotive sells four of these marques in Jamaica with Jaguar being recognised as the top car maker.

Commenting on Jaguar on MSN Cars last year, a Jaguar XJ owner said: ” I have owned 4 Mercedes cars and 2 Jaguar XJs. I had the guts to change from Mercedes to Jaguar. I must admit I was nervous. I had problems with 3 of the 4 Mercedes cars I owned from poor quality manufacture, unreliability to arrogant dealers. Both Jaguar XJs I have owned have been a delight.

“Yes, if you want a taxi and you drive 40,000 miles a year maybe a Mercedes has the edge. But if you want class, distinction and great looks choose a Jaguar.”