“more plushness”. From outside, the
car now looks a lot more sporty and
rakish than its predecessor, following
improvements to its body, exhausts,
side skirts and fitment of impressive
20in, 10-spoke, diamond-cut alloys.
Inside, the car is much brighter,
now using light-catching metallic
brightwork and better-quality trim
materials. But its most striking
feature is the adoption of a stylishly
simple lower info screen just ahead
of the newly adopted gearlever, now
favoured over the twist selector.
There are similarly welcome
changes to the dynamics. The road
noise is now average to low for the
class, and thus quite acceptable. You
can travel 100 miles in our grey XE
and never think about it. But thebiggest step forward has been in the
ride: the car remains sporty, but it
handles ruts and road craters much
better without conceding anything to
s p e a k of i n s t e e r i n g or b o d y c ont r ol.
A long-distance driver-only sprinter
has become comfortable transport
for two adults and whatever-sized
kids can be comfortable in the back:
let’s say 10 to 12-year-olds.
The ride seems f latter, perhaps
because the (modest) extra 50kg
added by the all-wheel-drive kit
helps with weight distribution.
The blue, rear-drive car’s propensity
to wheelspin during half-quick
departures from roadsides is simply
non-existent, and when you’re
parked in a damp British field – for a
Goodwood meeting or similar – you
are now certain there will be traction
enough to get back to the road.
There’s plenty of poke (a self-
shifting 0-60mph time of 5.4sec
is surely quick enough for anyone)
yet fuel consumption is similar for
both cars: 32-34mpg day to day.
The revised XE now feels and looks
considerably more complete andcapable than the original edition. It’s
probably a cheap observation, given
the huge Jaguar effort required to
build a 3 Series chaser in the first
pl a c e , t o s u gge s t t h at t h i s i s t he X E
Ja g u a r shou ld h av e bu i lt i n t he f i r s t
place. But that is about the size of it.
S T E V E C RO PL E Y
LOATHE IT
LOVE IT
ENGINE
It has decent low-end torque and
smoothness but work is needed on
noise and transient responses.
HANDLING
R-Sport chassis settings will seem a
bit firm for some, but the payback is
superb grip and handling balance.
REAR ROOM
The designers told us at launch the
XE couldn’t have Jag lines with a
roomy rear. They were right.PROPORTIONS
If you like the notion of a shrink-
wrapped sports saloon, this is it —
low, sleek, compact and muscular.
STEERING
There’s no beating a small, Mike-
Cross-developed rear-drive Jag for
precise, uncorrupted steering.
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
It h a s b e e n a n e a sy c a r
in which to cover big
driver-only mileage
Original car’s s
inglescreen (^) has been
replaced by two
Caesium^ Blue^
paint,^ £^650 ext
ra,
looks^ the^ part
`
The revised XE feels and looks considerably
more complete and capable than the original
a
JAGUAR XE 2.0 R-SPORT
MILEAGE
Mileage at start 447
Mileage at end 9668
PRICES
List price new £34,565
List price now na
Price as tested £40,575
Dealer value now £31,000
Private sale £33,000
Trade value now £28,500
OPTIONS
Heated seats £320, Caesium Blue paint £650,
19in alloy wheels £840, Black pack £530,
electrically adjustable door mirrors £295,
privacy glass £370, Meridian 380W audio £530,
park assist and camera £1045, electric towbar
£900, keyless entry £530
FUEL CONSUMPTION AND RANGE
Claimed economy 39.8mpg (combined)
Fuel tank 56 litres
Test average 37.7mpg
Test best 44.9mpg
Test worst 27.1mpg
Real-world range 464 miles
TECH HIGHLIGHTS
0-60mph 7.2sec
Top speed 143mph
Engine 4 cyls, 1998cc,
turbocharged, petrol
Max power 197bhp at 5500rpm
Max torque 236lb ft at 1450-4500rpm
Transmission 8-spd automatic
Boot capacity 410 litres
Wheels 19in, diamond-cut alloy
Tyres 225/40 R19 (f),
255/35 R19 (r)
Kerb weight 1505kg
SERVICE AND RUNNING COSTS
Contract hire rate £260 per month
CO 2 162g/km
Service costs None
Other costs None
Fuel costs £1409
Running costs inc fuel £1409
Cost per mile 15.3 pence
Depreciation £12,075
Cost per mile inc dep’n £1.46
Faults None
PREVIOUS REPORTS
1 3 Fe b 2 0 1 9, 2 7 Fe b , 2 7 M a r, 3 A p r, 1 5 M a y,
5 June, 24 July
TEST DATA
So many new cars are SUVs
or other body types pursuing
an elevated driving position.
Yet the XE makes you fall in love with
saloon cars all over again. I love the
way it hugs the road and makes you
feel so involved in the drive. And, at
last, the cabin has caught up with the
joy of the driving experience. MT
SECOND OPINION
relaxing and at times it’s downright
destabilising: I’m not sure I’d have
been quite as enthusiastic about this
car if my miles had comprised more
family motoring and fewer one-up
dashes around the country.
When the mileage on our original
XE was nudging 9000, the second-
series XE arrived. It wasn’t a matter
of like for like. Our 197bhp version
of the 2.0-litre engine had been
dropped, and along with it the
R-Sport trim. The replacement is an
all-wheel-drive R-Dynamic XE in
Eiger Grey with the 296bhp (thus 50%
more powerful) version of Jaguar’s
2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine.
Jaguar’s launch of its revised XE
- which was going on at the time of
our second car’s arrival – boils down
to two major things: better looks and D
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