JaguarXE
2.0D180SER-DynamicAWDauto
Mileage 2840
Listprice£39,475TargetPrice£36,693
Priceastested£47,410
OptionsttedTechnologyPack(£1470),
DrivePack(£1000),ParkHeatwithremote
control(£1000),split-spokeglossblackalloy
wheels(£900),CaesiumBluemetallicpaint
(£600),Meridiansoundsystem(£600),Matrix
LEDheadlights(£500),ColdClimatePack
(£445),electricbootlid(£400),ExteriorBlack
Pack(£350),privacyglass(£325),aluminium
trimnisher(£175)andheated12-way
electricfrontseats(£170)
Testeconomy40.8mpg
Ofcialeconomy46.4mpg(WLTP)
whatcar.com^ April 2020 83
WHENACARhasbeenonsaleforafewyears,
it’snormalforitsmakertofreshenthingsup
bytweakingitsexteriordesignandenhancing
equipment;thinkofitastheautomotive
equivalentofgettingahaircutorbuyinga
newpairofglasses.But,tomyeyesatleast,the
recentchangestotheJaguarXEmakeabigger
differencethanmostofthesemid-lifeupdates.
For starters, slimmer, LED headlights and
reshaped air intakes in the front bumper give
it a much more aggressive appearance than
before, as well as one that’s more distinct from
the looks of Jaguar’s other saloons. Meanwhile,
the rear lights have been moved on by about
half a century, because they now take their
inspiration from the I-Pace electric car rather
than the 1960s E-Type.
The infotainment system is another
feature that’s been upgraded, with a 10.0in
touchscreen replacing the 8.0in setup –
complete with Fisher Price-plastic shortcut
buttons – that used to come as standard. In fact,
quality in general feels much improved.
Don’t get me wrong; the XE was never a bad
car. I ran one for a year when it fi rst came out
and loved the way it managed to combine a
forgivingridewithtauthandling.It’sjustthat
youhadtomakeallowancesforitinquitea
fewareas–somethingthosestandoutdriving
mannersmadeeasyenoughtodoatthetime
butwhichI’dfindhardertoday,givenhow
muchstrongerthecompetitionis.
Forthenextfewmonths,then,I’llbe
runninganXEtoseeifitcontinuestoimpress
oncethenoveltyofitsnewlooksandflashier
interiorhavewornoff.Specifically,I’vegone
fora178bhp2.0-litrediesel(thebiggestseller
intheUK)inmid-levelSEtrimandwiththe
R-Dynamicpack,whichbrings18inwheels,
leatherseatswithcontraststitching,sports
suspensionandanevensportierappearance.
I’vealsoaddedthe£350ExteriorBlackPack,
whichreplacestheusualchromedetailingwith
glossblack,andthe£1470TechnologyPack,
whichincorporatessomeparticularlydesirable
pieces of kit – namely, a head-up display, digital
instruments, wireless phone charging and a
second touchscreen.
This extra screen replaces most of the
conventional air-con controls and defi nitely
ups the wow factor. But unlike the similar setup
in the rival Audi A4, it doesn’t compromise ease
of use, because its icons are all big and easy to
hit, and they’re complemented by two physical
dials that change function depending on the
menu selected.
One thing that obviously hasn’t changed
about the XE is the amount of space you get; it’s
a lot tighter in the back than the A4 or the BMW
3 Series. Then again, my wife can still sit behind
me (and alongside our two-year-old daughter)
without her knees touching my seat. And
LOGBOOK
Refreshedexecutive
saloonis out toprove
that it cannow compete
with rivalsonall fronts
whilethebootisfarfromclass-leading,our
daughter’sbuggygoesinwithspacetospare.
I’malsopleasedtosaythattheXEisasgood
todriveasIremember,dartingintobends,
stayingflatandcomposedthroughallmanner
oftwistsandturnsandtakingthestingoutof
potholesevenonitsfirmed-upsuspension.The
onlythingthatletsthesidedownistheengine,
whichcansoundrattly,particularlywhencold.
Isthisproblembadenoughtomakeme
regretrunninganXE?Absolutelynot.But
as the miles pile on, it will be interesting
to see if more niggles follow or if Jaguar’s
most affordable model is now as good at the
mundane stuff as the fun.
Jaguar XE 2.0D180SER-DynamicAWDauto
FIRST
REPORT
OUR CARS
Steve Huntingford
Handling remains
an XE strong point;
interior looks much
smarter than before