Jaguar XE 2.0 240PS Diesel

Course four-cylinder is one for diesel lovers only

YOU’D HAVE TO REALLY LOVE DIESEL cars to buy one right now. The black fuel’s reputation is in tatters, what with cars cheating tests, experiments on monkeys and extortionate pump prices, and that’s before government legislation starts to make diesel cars economically unfeasible. But if an oil burner really gets the derv flowing through your circulatory system, then Jaguar’s £39,180 240PS XE Diesel will be your sort of car.

There’s something admirable about how unapologetically dieselly its 237bhp, 369lb ft four-cylinder twin-turbo engine is; from behind the wheel it sounds as if there has been no attempt at all to hide its coarse, industrial din. And with eight gears in the auto gearbox the revs hardly ever drop, keeping that noise as constant and droning as possible. The multitude of ratios also gives you the ability to keep the engine spinning between 2600 and 3200rpm, right where it feels brawniest. However, the 2-litre unit never feels that influential on proceedings – something that the car’s 1718kg kerb weight and four-wheeldrive don’t help.

At least the XE’S chassis impresses. From inside the car, everything feels serene. It rides softly, absorbs bumps with dignity and allows a small degree of roll before really tensing up and supporting the body when you add some meaningful load.

The steering is very direct, and the front of the car reacts so instantly that, initially, you make too many inputs, which can make the XE feel nervous. After a few corners you adapt and make simple but decisive inputs, then this Jaguar feels sharp, accurate and graceful. But the chassis always remains so far within its comfort zone controlling the performance from this engine that it makes it difficult to explore what the XE is really capable of. Will Beaumont (@Willbeaumont) Perfect, if you love diesels A great chassis with a poor engine if you don’t evo rating