Hero to zero
REPORT 6 1999cc, 4cyl turbodiesel, RWD, 178bhp, 317lb ft 67.4mpg, 111g/km CO2 0–62mph in 7.4secs, 140mph 1565kg £ £34,775/£43,815 Total mileage 3833 Driver Jack Rix Why it’s here Has Jag really cracked the ‘3-Series’ thing?
It’s been a month of peaks and troughs for our XE, kicking of with a longoverdue scrub. Eventually the visible neglect became too much, and the sheer guilt wore me down, so I paid someone else to do it for me. Great job, though, and seeing it in its full glory once again was a timely reminder of just what a handsome car it is.
Then, as if the XE could possibly feel any happier in its new shiny skin, the news landed that it had been nominated as a fnalist for the European Car of the Year Awards. Oddly, these are considered more prestigious than the World Car of the Year Awards, so we’re talking about the automotive Oscars here. It’s kind of a big deal.
The other contenders? The Audi A4, BMW 7-Series, Mazda MX-5, Vauxhall Astra, Skoda Superb and Volvo XC90. A tough crowd, no doubt, but given that the XE is the catalyst for a rapidly expanding company, it’s defnitely in with a shout. And guess what? OW15 OXC could have a direct bearing on the result.
Our very own consultant editor Paul Horrell is on the judging panel of said automotive Oscars and asked to drive the XE down to the judging event in France. A perfect chance to show of its long-legged abilities, decent fuel economy (PH is a fend for mpg fgures) and sprightly demeanour, you’d think, except the XE immediately shot itself in the foot.
Pulling out of the TG car park, Horrell heard a knock coming from the front right suspension – something that I hadn’t noticed when I drove it last. Paul claims no kerb–wheel interface took place, I trust him. Odd. Anyway, it made it all the way to France, at which point Jaguar engineers confrmed there was a problem and seized the car, handing Paul a stickered-up replacement to bring him home. As it stands, I’m awaiting a diagnosis and a proper timeframe for getting my car back.
This is the second problem in fve months, don’t forget. We had to send it back once before to update the infotainment system that kept crashing on us. It’s a real shame that these issues might spoil what is otherwise a supreme all-rounder.