Much awaited Jaguar XE launched
This is the one we’ve been waiting for. This model is an all important play for volumes by Jaguar, and is the first time in a long time that the manufacturer has brought out a mass market rival for the BMW 3 Series, in the ‘mid-size premium sedan’ segment. Jaguar’s fortunes have been on a rise since Tata Motors bought it over in 2008 and the launch of the XE marks an extremely important opening salvo in the British auto maker’s go forward strategy.
The 2015 Jaguar XE boasts a first-in-class all-aluminium chassis, that is modular, which makes it quite light yet rigid, enhancing fuel efiiciency, acceleration, and handling. The fact that the chassis is modular means that there will be an SUV based on the same platform though its launch is yet to be confirmed. The advanced aluminium architecture will also be the base for all future Jags.
It’s not just the chassis but even the body work that sets this Jaguar apart as the British marque claims that it is its most slippery model yet with a low drag coefficient of 0.26 (the McLaren P1 has a drag coefficient of 0.34). The C-Class competitor was completely made in-house, everything from the design, to the engine.
To match what seems like a supremely dynamic chassis, the sporty compact luxury sedan’s ride and handling prowess should also be pretty good as the rear suspension has an ‘Integral Link’ set-up which provides more lateral and longitudinal stiffness compared to conventional multi-link designs. The front suspension is based on the Jaguar F-type and borrows components from the XFR, as such, it sports double wishbones at the front which should make the XE and agile handler and deliver a good amount of feedback from the steering. Both the rear and front suspensions are made up of forged or hollow-cast in aluminium, lending stiffness without increasing weight. If this wasn’t enough evidence of the XE’s sporty aspirations, Jaguar claims a best-in-class ride and pin-sharp handling.
The first variant of the XE that was showcased was the current top-spec petrol, the XE S, that is powered by the same 3.0-litre supercharged V6 from the F-type that puts out 335bhp and 450Nm of torque, which is capable of pushing this sedan to 0–100kmph in 5.1 seconds while reaching an electronically limited top whack of 248kmph. There will be a slew of four-pot Ingenium engines, both petrol and diesel, available with the XE though the first to debut will be a 2.0-litre diesel producing 161bhp and 380Nm of peak torque. The claimed fuel efficiency for this engine is an impressive 27.61kmpl. A petrol engine from the same modular family will follow, with multiple smaller and larger capacity engines following over the next two and a half years.
The importance of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium diesel motor is not to be underestimated as this is the engine that will make it to India. In addition, if we are good boys and girls, the same engine (code-named AJ200D) may be brought to India via the recently announced SUV to be co-developed by Tata and Land Rover. The Ingenium family of engines has been a massive development for JLR with an investment of Rs 4,863 crore made for the new engine manufacturing plant in the U.K.
Irrespective of the engine, power will be delivered to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual, or a ZF-sourced eight-speed auto ‘box. The range-topping XE S will only come with the eight-speed automatic transmission.
On the inside, Jaguar maintains that the XE will offer class-leading cabin space and it hasn’t scrimped on the goodies either. The all-new infotainment system, dubbed ‘InControl’, comes with an 8-inch touch screen, complete iOS and Android connectivity so that common apps can be used on the touch screen, in addition to Bluetooth, audio streaming and USB connectivity. Jaguar’s InControl Remote functionality will allow smartphones users to connect to the car to pre-set the climate control system, lock or unlock the doors, or to start the engine.
The final pricing and variants, along with the complete features list will only be available at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. We’ll bring you updates as they come.
XE S Specifications
EngineV6. 2995cc, supercharged petrolTransmissionZF 8HP45 8-speed automaticPower355bhp@6500rpmTorque450Nm@4500rpmWeightNA0–100kmph5.1secTop speed250kmphFuel efficiency (claimed)12kmplLength4672Width1850Height1416Wheelbase2835
XE Diesel Specifications
EngineIn-line 4-cyl. 2.0-litre, turbo-dieselTransmission6-speed manual/ZF 8HP45 8-speed automaticPower161bhpTorque380NmWeight1474kg0–100kmphNATop speedNAFuel efficiency (claimed)27.61kmplLength4672Width1850Height1416Wheelbase2835
