Jaguar XE 2017: In the flat-bands of Mercedes

Frédéric Mercier

Thursday, July 6, 2017 18:15

UPDATE
Thursday, July 6, 2017 18:15

Look at this article

Jaguar part by far. Very far away, even. And with the arrival of the XE on the market, the manufacturer to british origins deserves a pat on the back.

However, rare were those who viewed the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover by Tata Motors in 2008. And we can understand them. An indian company, then known for building the new car to the world’s cheapest, the Nano, became the owner of two icons of luxury and prestige of the uk. It goes wrong…

And yet, nearly ten years later, force is to admit that Tata has succeeded where Ford failed. Jaguar is back in full force, and the XE is the most recent example.

This small revolution, Jaguar has started big with the launch of the F-Type, a sports car design simply sublime. Jaguar has then continued its transformation with the sedans XJ and XF.

The onslaught of the German

Then, we will attack at a market not a lot more popular. With the new XE, Jaguar has come to play in the flat-band models already well established as a BMW 3 Series or the Audi A4 or the Mercedes-Benz c-Class.

Jaguar XE 2017

The C-Class, moreover, is the queen to dethrone in this category. With nearly 10,000 sales in Canada last year, the compact model of Mercedes sold more copies than vehicles general public as well as the Honda Fit or the Toyota Yaris. Must do it!

Let us have no illusions, the Jaguar XE will never reach such results. Even with the most interesting product in the world, Jaguar will remain a brand more nestled, for some connoisseurs who did not want to drive a car that they meet at every street corner.

And then, there’s this reputation for reliability that is awful that it sticks to the skin. Must say that it was deserved. Except for two or three years, we see the Jaguar name appear a lot more high in many of the charts in reliability and initial quality established each year. There is hope…

Jaguar XE 2017

A look successful

The design of the XE will revolutionize the world, but Jaguar has managed to make a model that is both sober and attractive. The vehicle is beautiful, and most importantly, we don’t have the impression that Jaguar has loosely tried to copy the competition.

Inside, the cabin exudes luxury. The quality of materials is at the rendez-vous and the infotainment system finally offers a conviviality worthy of the name. It was time, because the older generation was hard, and not just a little.

There is the navigation system that remains pitiful, offering too often a route biased. When one feels forced to get out of his cell to get to a destination, it is a sign that the GPS of the car does not do well its work…

For the rest, it is successful on the line. The XE presents a luxurious environment tinted with a small touch of sportiness that leaves us to understand that it is not in a car like the others.

Jaguar XE 2017

The power to resell

By analyzing the list of drives, one realizes to what point the manufacturer is serious in its approach. With two petrol engines and one diesel, Jaguar has obviously no intention of playing a role listed in the category of compact luxury cars.

Must say that the model that we tested was a far cry from the basic version. With its V6 engine, the supercharged 3.0-litre, 340 horsepower, the Jaguar XE R-Design is a real bomb. And with a train full above the market, we started to chat.

Except that in this superb version of R-Sport, the XED costs, at least 57 500$. With all the options included in our test model, the invoice exceeded even 70 000$. At this price, you can almost buy you a BMW M3 or a Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG, two cars ultra-performance of more than 400 horses.

However, in its most affordable, the XE V6 and all-wheel drive will remain available for a quite reasonable price, to 48 900$. For a luxury sedan that is as powerful, we’ve seen worse! And for those who do not require as much power, the versions with the four-cylinder are offered from 43 900$.

It will take a lot of time to Jaguar before making a name in the niche market of compact sedan luxury. But with the XE, it was ultimately the impression that we know where we are going.

Jaguar XE 2017

Technical data sheet

Name: Jaguar XE 2017
Base price: 43 900$
Price of model tested: 71 050$
Configuration : four-wheel drive Vehicle with engine at the front
Basic mechanical: Engine four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged
Power/torque: 240 hp/ 269 lb-ft
Other engines: V6 surcompressé 3.0 L (340-380 hp) and Diesel turbocharged four-cylinder (247 hp)
Transmission : eight-speed Automatic
Fuel consumption announced (V6): 11.8 L/100 km (city) 8.2 L/100 km (highway)
Warranty basic : 4 years/80,000 km
Competition: BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4