It has a powerful stance, with seductive looks. It is a performance car, with responsive handling. It is a luxury saloon, with a sporty cabin. The new Jaguar XE—which, according to the company, is the most advanced, efficient and refined sports saloon it has ever produced—essentially embodies the true sporting character of the acclaimed F-Type, but in a smaller package.
Available only in petrol, the XE also marks the company’s entry into a new industry segment—compact luxury cars. The design immediately catches the eye, and even though the XE is a compact luxury car, it stands out from the competition because of its arguably more upscale proportions. The design cues have clearly been inspired from the F-Type. The bonnet is strongly-sculpted. The steeply raked windscreen and the rising waistline give it a coupe-like profile.
At the front, the signature J-Blade headlights are an instantly recognisable Jaguar design, while at the rear the horizontal line is an iconic styling feature inherited from the E-Type, the sports coupe.
The cabin, though not the most spacious or the most opulent in its segment, is sporty to the core. The deep centre console creates a cockpit-like feel. The 20.32-cm touchscreen for the new InControl Touch infotainment system takes centre-stage in the sweeping curves of the instrument panel. The chunky sports steering wheel provides very good grip and the raised centre console adds to the cockpit feel.
The contour-hugging front seats are mounted low, creating a sports-car like driving position. Space is adequate. At the rear, while the seats are firm, space comes at a premium, especially if the front passengers push their seats fully back.
Clearly, the XE is a driver’s car. While there is enough technology inside the cabin, there is a lot more under the body. For example, the aluminium-intensive monocoque construction. The XE is the first of the new generation of Jaguar cars to be based on the all-new aluminium-intensive architecture, which uses expertise derived from the aerospace industry to deliver premium vehicle characteristics in the areas of performance, handling and refinement.
Then there is a technology called Torque Vectoring by Braking—by correcting understeer, this technology ensures your vehicle follows your chosen path, despite unfavourable conditions. The XE also gets the All Surface Progress Control (ASPC) feature, which is essentially low speed cruise control, operating at speeds between 3.6kph to 30kph. It helps the car to cope with low traction situations. The system has a pull-away function, allowing the XE to move away from rest on slippery surfaces, as well as a hill descent function that controls speed on steeper inclines.
The XE is available only in petrol, but with two options. The 2.0-litre 147kW turbocharged and the 2.0-litre 177kW turbocharged. Both are mated to an 8-speed electronic automatic transmission. The 147kW variant takes the car from 0-100kph in 7.7 seconds, while the more powerful 177kW motor gives it a class-leading acceleration of 0-100kph in just 6.8 seconds—in fact, at the press of the accelerator, this motor shoots the car ahead like a cat possessed.
The 147kW variant is priced Rs 39.9 lakh, while the 177kW one comes for Rs 46.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The XE directly competes with BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the soon-to-be-launched new Audi A4. These competitors may offer you bigger rear seating space, more luxurious cabin, more technology, or all three in a single package, but the XE is a car that gives you pure, undiluted driving pleasure. Jaguar India has a lot riding on this baby Jag.
