The smallest of the current Jaguar saloon cars, the Jaguar X-Type had had its humble beginnings in 2001. It was purposefully built on the success of the S-Type and has taken its styling and design mostly from the Jaguar XJ series. It also has some Ford parts in it so much so that Jaguar, the vehicle manufacturer, states that only twenty per cent of the X-Type’s parts come are Ford parts and the rest are Jaguar parts. 

Primarily, the Jaguar X-Type was designed to be a direct competitor to the BMW 3 series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. And to be able to compete with these vehicles, it was structured and crafted with an all wheel drive system which was tuned to be able to send sixty per cent of its engine power to the rear wheels, and the remaining forty per cent sent to the front, thus giving this vehicle a sportier feel. It was initially crafted as a saloon, however come early 2004, the saloon was then joined by an estate model, thus making it the very first Jaguar estate car. Also, it was Jaguar’s vehicle to use a diesel engine. 

The Jaguar X-Type is elegant, comfortable, and really fun to drive. It is one vehicle that would be a good choice for driving in the rain, snow or ice because it gives drivers and its passengers a secure feeling even during those conditions. As per last year, a new Jaguar Sportwagon joined the X-Type line of vehicles. It has already gained popularity in Europe. Aside from that, it offers a great cargo carrying capacity along with its unique style that’s only Jaguar. It also has a tailgate with independently opening rear window, luggage tie-downs, removable luggage cover, and also a cargo net. What is neat for this vehicle is that it has a neat hidden cargo compartment under its rear floor. 

Standard equipment for this vehicle includes dual-stage front-passenger airbags; front side-impact airbags; front and rear curtain-style head protection airbags; three-point rear seat belts; all-wheel drive; four-channel ABS, automatic climate control, tilt and telescopic steering wheel with audio controls; power windows with one-touch operation; eight-way power driver’s seat; four-way manual passenger seat; power moonroof; leather-trimmed seats; wood and leather steering wheel; center console with sliding armrest; Sapele wood trim; floor mats for the front and rear; sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors; Bluetooth phone; CD changer wiring; speed control; 120-watt radio/cassette; and antenna that is integrated into the rear window.

For all Jaguar needs, customers can browse through one of the largest Jaguar parts suppliers in the United States at Jaguar Parts and Jaguar Auto Parts.  The Jaguar X-Type would not be mistaken for any brand of vehicle for it is definitely a Jaguar and it exudes the look and feel of a Jaguar. It still contains all the traditional British ingredients that has been Jaguar’s definition as a brand for decades and decades still.

Airbags have been all made available for many vehicles for a long time running. In fact, the United States government has made sure that these would be made standard for vehicles. This has become reality for in July 11, 1984, the US government has already required all cars to airbags for the driver’s side at least. And since 1998 all vehicles should contain airbags in the front end of the vehicle.

Insurance companies have come up with results that drivers and passengers who would like to have greater protection during crashes would benefit greatly from side airbags. In fact, this is just a recent study and was reported only last April 15, 2006. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has also found that, indeed, these side airbags have been beneficial and really helpful during side impact crashes.

Some of the tests conducted by the IIHS with regards to side impact crashes showed that majority of vehicles that do not hold such a safety feature suffered from dislodged seats, or had seats that separated from the floor. Just imagine riding in a vehicle that would have dislodged seats because of a side impact crash. However, thanks to the side airbags, safety of the passengers were greatly increased.

Of course, airbags should not be considered as a replacement to seatbelts. Seatbelts also serve their own unique purpose in providing safety. And this goes true for airbags as well. There are actually various types of airbags so as to provide proper and enough protection to a vehicle’s passengers during crashes. There are front side airbags, front airbags, passenger side airbags, and even airbags located somewhere on the steering wheel to assist in keeping the driver in place and not being thrown off the windshield.

In fact, it could be deduced that airbags are actually supplements to the safety belt system. What it does is it reduces the chance that the passenger’s or the driver’s head and upper body will strike a part of the vehicle’s interior. Serious injury is also reduced because these airbags actually distribute crash forces evenly across the body of the passenger. To support this claim, there is a recent study that concluded that there are already some 6000 lives already saved and kept safe because of the use of airbags. 

Volkswagen vehicles also contain and come with these airbags. In fact, Volkswagen also assures its customers and patrons worldwide that their vehicle would provide enough protection during crashes.

Autopilots

The first self-steering gear was introduced in the 1920's to control model yachts but it was not until 1948 that the principle was applied to full scale yachts. Standing at the helm for lengthy periods, monitoring instruments and keeping a good look out can be very tiring. An autopilot relieves the helmsman from steering the correct course leaving him free to maintain a proper watch. The autopilot can be set to either steer a compass course or a course relative to the wind. A fluxgate compass or electronic wind indicator feeds information to a microprocessor which then makes the necessary rudder movements to return the vessel to it's required course. The mechanical power is applied to the rudder by either electric linear activators, hydraulic pumps or rotary drives. GPS/Chart plotters can be used to input navigational instructions to the autopilot.

Battery Chargers will keep batteries fully charged thereby extending their working life.

Chart Plotters

Typically a chart plotter consists of an antenna, mounted high on the boat, to track GPS signals and a display unit sited either at the at the navigation station or the helm of the vessel. The vessels position is sent from the antenna to the display unit which in turn shows it graphically on the chart. The Chart itself will look similar to it's paper equivalent and show depth, land mass, navigational aids such as bouys and potential dangers in the form of wrecks and obstructions. The user can add way points to the chart and zoom in and out of the display. Chart plotters can be connected to drive an autopilot and/or send GPS data to a fish finder or radar. They can also interface with a laptop enabling complex passage planning to be done away from the boat and then entered into the chart plotter after arriving at the boat.