As the X-Type has aged, Jaguar has slowly dropped the lower specification models that suffered from a plain-looking cabin. However, the wood and leather combinations found higher up the range were perhaps too ‘traditional’ for buyers used to the modern interiors in Audis or BMWs. Later, more contemporary finishes became available, such as carbon fibre effects and leather/Alcantara seats.

From spring 2008 the interior was freshened up further with more trim choices and redesigned seats. Customers can choose rosewood or ‘piano black’ finishes on the dashboard. Rosewood has become a trademark of Maserati over the years so this makes the X-Type feel a little more distinctive and upmarket inside. Similarly, the double-stitched leather seat finishes available for 2008 would look equally at home in a Bentley.

With the exception of rear seat passengers, who will find the X-Type rather tight for legroom and headroom, comfort is excellent plus all models come with air conditioning (some of the lower specification earlier versions came with manual air conditioning instead of automatic climate control). Rear seat passengers were expected to wind down their own windows on earlier models low down the range, but Jaguar’s rivals BMW and Audi were also both guilty of this at the time.

Passengers are cocooned away from the outside world with very little noise intrusion.