Ers Jag’s XE
urban ease of use than some of its direct rivals.
That’s not to say it can’t hold its own when quick direction changes are in order. It’s properly fun to thread through a series of bends if the situation arises, but the extra work chassis engineers put in means it’s able to absorb nasty midcorner bumps with confidence.
Beating the big German three in handling dynamics is a tall order, but the XE, in my opinion, does. This car’s ride and handling qualities are certainly its unique selling proposition.
Jaguar launched the XE with a completely new 2-litre ‘Ingenium’ turbodiesel engine, but 2-litre turbopetrols (and a range-topping supercharged 3-litre), for now, are older units common to many Jag and Land Rover products. Next year, a lighter weight Ingenium petrol is also expected, so the current 177kW/340Nm petrol version on test here, will likely be phased out after only a year (or so) of employment in this body.
A few years old it may be, but this petrol turbo engine is still plenty competitive in power output with other 2-litres in this class. A best 0100km/h time at our test track came in at a decent 7.8 seconds, and the quarter-mile came up in 15.8. It’s a smooth revver, and it always feels up to the task, whether cruising or overtaking – but its marriage with an eight-speed automatic transmission isn’t always a happy one.
Upshifts happen early for the sake of lower rpm and efficiency, but it’s then extremely reluctant to downshift when bursts of speed are needed. The delay comes with a natural response for more throttle, which in turn means the eventual kickdown is exaggerated and at times the driving experience can be lurchy.
Turning the gear selector knob to ‘Sport’ mode helps a little, but hopefully this issue will be completely rectified with the introduction of next-generation Ingenium petrol engines. VERDICT Okay, so the elephant’s still here. Jag will need to rely on brand loyalty for XE sales with relatively high pricing across the eight-strong range.
Ride quality is excellent, perhaps even best in class, but this alone is hardly enough to sway premium compact sedan buyers away from more enticing value propositions from competitors.
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