You’d be surprised that not everyone wants a saloon from Audi, BMW or Mercedes. And for those buyers, the Jaguar XE is just the saloon they are looking for.
There’s two petrol and two diesel engines to choose form. All four come in the guise of a 2-liter four-cylinder. Entry-level diesel makes the most sense financially if you desire a nice blend between running costs and flexibility on the highway. The more powerful diesel makes the most sense if you are spending the most time on the highway and will be doing the miles. Both petrol engines are very flexible for both city and highway driving. However, you’ll have to pay a slight premium in running costs. Pick of the range goes to the entry-level diesel. It offers a nice blend of running costs and purchase price, all while giving you just enough oomph for everyday driving that most will be satisfied with.
The XE has always been dynamically better to drive than the BMW 3-series, and with this refresh nothing has really changed much in that aspect. What we love the most is how smooth and fluid the steering feedback is. It’s not heavy and doesn’t feel overly light around town either. The ride comfort is superior to the BMW 3-series as it handles the lumps and bumps of city driving nicely, all while being relaxing to drive on the highway. Wind and road noise won’t be much of an issue with the XE, unless you count the slight wind whistle from the wing mirrors. However, that’s just nitpicking at best.
The interior of the XE is lightyears better than the previous years. The new touch screen infotainment system is much nicer looking and much of the interior bits and materials used are much improved. However, the user friendliness of the infotainment system is still not there. Some menus take some getting used to and the response times is still lackluster at best. However, it’s slightly improved over the ones we’ve sampled in the past, so any improvement here is a welcome.
The XE offers plenty of space for four across the board. A third person in the rear seat maybe pushing it a bit in terms of hip and legroom. The boot space is decent, it may not be as spacious as some of its keen rivals. However, for most buyers it’s plenty.
Standard kit includes LED headlights, power-folding wing mirrors, auto-dimming interior mirror, Bluetooth connectivity and leather seats. You’ll have to step up to the premium packs to get wood grain interior trim and ventilated leather seats. Rain-sensing windscreen wipers and handsfree boot operation are both standard across the range.
The Jaguar XE is the saloon for anyone desiring a non-German option. It’s stylish, rewarding to drive and generous in standard kit. However, Jaguar needs to improve reliability.
Likes: Engaging to drive and easy to live with. Both exterior and interior are much improved. Standard kit list is very generous.
Dislikes: Jaguar needs to improve reliability record. We’re going to miss the six-cylinder petrol/diesel engines.
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