To illustrate how important the XE is to Jaguar’s future, the company invited a group of journalists for a sneak preview to drive its new baby a whole four months before the initial launch event.
Jaguar was keen to emphasise that the cars are still prototypes, but there’s little that doesn’t at least look like the finished article. It’s fair to say that refinement and cabin noise from the 180hp 2.0-litre diesel still needs work, but otherwise Jaguar has given a significant insight into the finished XE, which comes with all-new diesel engines and an all-new chassis, and the firm is extremely confident it can give a bloody nose to some of the best cars in the business, such as the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, and our 2015 Business Car of the Year, the Mercedes C-class.
The 180hp diesel should prove popular with the corporate sector that will be vital to the XE’s success. It emits 10g/km more than the 99g/km 163hp diesel, but only costs an extra £500-£700, depending on trim level, which has left Jaguar watching with interest to see which model will find most favour with fleet drivers.
The XE is a prettier and better proportioned car than the pictures had previously suggested, and it’s certainly more distinctive and characterful than its German rivals. The bad news, though, is that the swooping roofline, narrow rear window and wide rearmost C-pillar hamper rear visibility. Getting into the rear seats is also compromised, with larger passengers having to twist round the roofline as if they’re entering a sports car.
But once in, there’s enough space to take four adults. The boot is smaller than any of its three main competitors, which all come in 25 litres above the XE’s 455 litres.
The cabin looks like a car from a larger and more expensive class, and features the new InControl system for infotainment operation via an eight-inch touchscreen, as well as features from Jaguar’s larger cars such as the rotating dial for the auto gearbox, which rises up from the centre console, and the Jaguar inscription on the air vents.
One small criticism is that there’s not a massive amount of interior storage. The door bins and centre stowage bin are all quite small, and the car could do with more places to stash keys, phone and loose change. Some of the materials also look more appealing than they feel, with deceptively hard materials on show in the high-spec models we drove, especially across the dashboard expanse and around the centre console.
But it’s on the road where Jaguar has set itself the biggest of challenges with the XE: toppling BMW’s 3-series as a driver’s choice. And while it’s not fair to draw final conclusions from the prototype because there is still some work for Jaguar’s engineers to do, it’s going to be very close.
On the rutted roads of our test route, the XE remained completely composed, letting you know the bumps, ruts and imperfections were there, without actually crashing or banging over them.
The ride quality is impressive, and the auto gearbox’s smooth, unobtrusive shifting matches that. Only in steering feel, which is maybe a little behind the XE’s BMW rival, and the diesel engine in these early test cars, which lacks the punch, refinement and polish of the excellent 320d, can we find fault.
So the XE looks great, handles well and has a decent interior, but needs some work on the final production-ready powertrain. But its clincher, that proves Jaguar should be able to make a real impression in the sector, is the cost analysis.
The XE, according to whole-life cost expert KwikCarcost, will trounce its rivals for residual value, and combine that with its greater comparative efficiency on the 180hp diesel driven here, it seems from this early test that Jaguar has every right to be confident.
Jaguar XE 2.0d 180 R-design auto |
Model price range £26,995-£44,870 |
Fuel consumption 67.3mpg |
CO2 (BIK band) 109g/km (17%) |
BIK 20/40% per month £98/£197 |
Warranty 3yrs/unlimited miles |
Boot space (min/max) 455 litres |
Engine size/power 1999cc/180hp |