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New baby Jaguar – the Jaguar XE – is launched in London. It’s a stunner, but can it live up to the hype?
The XE is Jaguar’s answer to the all-conquering BMW 3-Series, plus other rivals from Audi, Merecedes-Benz, Lexus and Infiniti.
Priced from £27,000. it will go on sale next year. Full details of the range will be announced at Paris Motor Show in October.
The XE’s styling is slightly conservative and there’s a strong family resemblance to its bigger brother, the XF and XJ, with its swept-back windscreen, sloping roofline and prominent grille.
“We decided to stick with the Jaguar design philosophy,” explained Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum.
“People have started to get used to Jaguar and what they look like.
“The XE is a sports saloon with a long bonnet, great wheel to dash proportions, the cabin set backwards and a coupe profile. But we’ve still got great packaging inside. [The car is] longer than a 3 Series, shorter than an A4 and with an interior comparable with the C-Class.”
Much of the Jaguar’s body and components are made from lightweight aluminium, enabling a stiffer body for better handling and increased refinement. It’s also the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever made.
The XE range will be topped with the S featuring a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 as seen on the F-Type – capable of 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 155mph.
However the XE range isn’t just about raw power – there will also be a highly efficient 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel capable of 75mpg and with CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
The XE is packed with with safety features including a lane departure warning system and blind spot monitoring, plus there’s a fighter-jet-style head up display (HUD) which uses lasers to project a clearer display of vital information such as speed and sat nav directions onto the car’s windscreen.
The XE’s centre console is dominated by an eight-inch touchscreen and a voice control gives access to any level of the system, without navigating through menus, so drivers can keep their eyes on the road.
The car functions as a Wi-Fi hotspot, enabling multiple devices to connect to the internet, while Jaguar InControl apps are compatible with Apple and Android smartphones for access to internet radio, traffic information, news and navigation.
