Jaguar's bringing an all-new X-Type sport wagon to the U.S. market, after months of reports in auto publications that it did not believe there was a strong market for it.

	Jaguar's S-Type has been redone extensively with a simpler, more aggressive-looking grille; a new aluminum hood; an even slicker, more luxurious interior; and a revised suspension system.

But Jaguar did the right thing in changing its mind. The X-Type 3.0 Sportwagon is hitting the market at just the right time. There are a slew of new station wagon models either on the market now, or on the way.

BMW's getting one ready for its 5 Series, Volvo just introduced the V50 sport wagon, Dodge's Magnum wagon is making huge waves with customers, and Cadillac's SRX has been a hit too, with customers. All of those models are either within a few thousand of the $36,995 Sportwagon, or not far more expensive.

It's a sharp looking wagon based on the X-Type sedan, but it has been redesigned from the B-pillars of the car rearward, with new rear doors and rear body structure.

It comes loaded with a lot of features including 17-inch "Cayman" wheels with all-season tires, all-wheel drive, a tailgate with independently opening rear window, four spring-loaded D-ring luggage tie-downs in the rear load area, silver rails that are fitted for adjustable carrying systems, a luggage cover, cargo compartment net and a hidden storage compartment with 12-volt power supply.

The other big news for Jaguar for 2005 is the introduction of its elegant, sophisticated Jaguar XJ8 long-wheelbase sedan. Room has always been a sticking point for Jaguar, and this model remedies that with an extended wheelbase that is five inches longer than the standard model -- and all of it benefits rear-seat passengers.

It comes with several engines, ranging from a 4.2-liter, 294-horsepower V-8 to a 4.2-liter, 390-horsepower version, and even the base one will have you hitting 60 at 6.6 seconds. These aren't slowpokes by a long shot.

The nice thing about the long wheelbase model -- and even the shorter one, is that they are lively, responsive cars, which feel much lighter than you might think, given their size. Handling is superb, and interior fittings are top notch.

It's available in three models: the XJ8 L, $63,495; a super luxury Vanden Plas version with lamb's wool footwell rugs and rear fold-down trays that costs $70,995, and the high performance XJR that features the larger engine, performance alloy wheels, radar-based adaptive cruise control and other niceties at $75,995.

In other news, the S-Type has been redone extensively with a simpler, more aggressive-looking grille; a new aluminum hood; an even slicker, more luxurious interior; and a revised suspension system. It also has a new VDP Edition package for the S-Type 4.2 that has premium leather with contrasting piping, California burled walnut veneer, electric rear sunroof, deep pile footwell rugs, Xenon headlights with auto-leveling and chrome door handles.

Prices for the S-Type start at $44,895 for the S-Type 3.0 model, $51,995 for the S-type 4.2 and $58,995 for the S-Type R. Fuel mileage figures are unavailable.