A superb addition to the small saloons

A NEW fashion is appearing in the car world. Small saloons with big, powerful engines. Audi, BMW and Mercedes do them so it’s no surprise that Jaguar has joined the party.

Their handsome Jaguar XE is now available as the XE S, which means you get a thumping 3.0-litre supercharged V6 375bhp engine under the bonnet, which gives you slingshot performance. 0-60 flashes by in 4.8 seconds. Top speed is limited to 155mph. Obviously this engine isn’t going to be the last thing in economy, but resist using all of the power and you will get close to 35mpg.

It’s also worth mentioning that if all of this power and performance is not sufficient for you, there is a 500bhp Jaguar XE SVR in the pipeline. Wow.

For the moment, this S model sits at the top of the Jaguar XE range.

Handling is superb. The entrylevel XE models are some of the nicest saloon cars available in the UK. They’re great to drive, comfortable, responsive and very surefooted. The S model merely adds to the driver enjoyment. There’s also a delightful exhaust note from the V6 engine and the eight-speed automatic gearbox is silky smooth.

Build quality is top-notch. Jaguar can now match the German marques for quality. Jaguar also provides an excellent level of kit as standard. You get a sports styling kit with side skirts and deep front spoiler. The tailgate is powered, as are all four windows. There’s a tyre pressure-monitoring system, climate control, satnav, DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control and a stack of safety equipment including lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking at speeds of up to almost 40mph, and a handy idea which fires off the hazard warning flashers if you brake heavily.

The infotainment system is really clever. It allows the driver to keep an eye on the satnav while passengers are watching a film.

We’d also recommend the variable suspension. It allows you to switch between comfort and sport modes. In comfort mode, the ride is uncannily smooth, soaking up potholes and ridges.

Sport mode sharpens the handling. And here’s the best bit. The starting price for the Jaguar XE S is £48,045 – extremely competitive for a high-performance saloon. The XE might be Jaguar’s smallest offering, but this version in XE S form is a cat that certainly has big teeth.