Jaguar XE: Taking on the Germans with an arm behind its back

By Miles Downard

What is it?

This is Jaguar’s long awaited competition to the likes of BMW’s 3, the Merc C and Audi A4. The British marquee has been on somewhat of a roll, in fact they’re about the only thing keeping parent company Tata afloat at the moment, so the XE has a lot to live up to.

On the outside

If looks were the only thing to go by, I’d say the Jag wins hands down. They’re really hitting the nail on the head car after car at the minute. There’s just an elegance about the way a Jag looks; flowing lines, a subtle hint of aggression (especially with the R Sport body kit), big imposing grille. Nice one.

On the inside

Honestly a bit of a mixed bag, which is a let down considering how the table was set from the outside. The general design is bang on if perhaps a little minimal. I particularly like the swooping overhang that curves around just below the windscreen, tying the front doors together. Space wise there’s plenty, big boot and it’s a comfy place to sit.

But it’s when you get down to the details that I’m far less convinced – like the quality of the buttons on the centre console or the infotainment system (shared with the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque) or the gear knob which rises so elegantly from its hiding spot but is then made from flimsy plastic.

Behind the wheel

In this one lies a 2.0 turbo diesel unit that’s new-ish to the Jag stable. It offers 132kW, 430 torques and will hit 100km/h in 7.5 seconds. It’s a nice unit linked up to an 8 speed ZF automatic gearbox, the same one you’ll find in the BMW 3 series in fact. I’d like a bit more response from the combo, from get go its a bit slow on the uptake, but once you’re moving there can be no complaints. Consumption wise it’s a winner, it really does sip at the fuel tank quite reservedly.

From a drivers point of view the Jag is there or thereabouts. The steering is on the numb side – as with most – but you can feel that there’s a decent chassis and suspension setup lurking underneath. Personally I’d not opt for the wheels that come with the R Sport package merely because more sidewall on the tyres would result in a better ride comfort.

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Pricing

Base price, without the R Sport pack, you’re looking at just short of R600,000. The R Sport is R170,000 more than that. Now I’m no mathematician but that’s a fair whack more than the equivalent BMW, Merc or Audi and I’m not quite sure how Jag is selling that one to its customers.

Verdict

The pricing is a real kick in the Jaguar’s teeth. Take that out of the equation and I’d probably have one in a heart beat. It’s just got so much more presence than the usual suspects that I could happily overlook the interior downfalls. It’s going to be a tough sell.

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