(Sorry for the terrible pun!) Maybe it is, maybe it’s not. But you have appreciate the effort by the bods at Jaguar for making a car that looked and drove equally well. It was the Jaguar XE, and despite some great competition, it was by some margin the car to go for in the segment. Especially if you’re after a rather unadulterated driving pleasure (for its class), great looks, and as sales weren’t great, a rarity. Jaguar India has launched the new Jaguar XE, which will soon be followed by the all-electric i-Pace and the Land Rover Defender, the company’s confirmed today.
But this is about the Jaguar XE, so let’s focus on that. The entry-level saloon from Jaguar, in this refreshed avatar, does what many cars fail to do — make you take notice of how pretty it is. And that is despite the fact that Jaguar designers didn’t meddle too much with the existing design. So like the new F-Type, the XE gets a new front-end, a few changes inside, and is largely the same car as before. And that’s no bad thing!
(Of course, the changes on the F-Type make a longer list.)
On the inside, you can get an optional full-digital instrument console, whereas other special bits include a new steering wheel, a conventional gear selector or SportShift as Jag call it (oh, thank heavens!), and a larger touchscreen infotainment system on the centre console, among other improvements in quality. You also get lane-keeping assist and driver-condition monitor, among other features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The list of engine choices includes a petrol (250 PS) and a diesel (180 PS). Both are 2-litre turbocharged Ingenium units, and the car’s still rear-wheel-drive (ace!) and has an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
And the prices?
There are two variants ‘S’ and ‘SE’, and for the petrol-engined car, the prices are 44.98 lakh and 46.33 lakh respectively. If you’re looking at the Jaguar XE Diesel price, you’d be glad to know that it’s identical to the petrol’s. On the design front, if you haven’t been able to make out from the photos (sorry for the low-res pictures, then), there is a substantial change with the inclusion of a new bumper, J-blade LED DRL, a new rear bumper, and all-LED tail lamps.
What do you think of the new Jaguar XE? If you like it and want to buy one, take a look at the car on Jaguar India’s website: www.jaguar.in or www.findmeacar.in
