News : Here’s the XE, but is it sexy?

In a word – yes! (even if it does look more than a little like the XF…)

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Jaguar pulled out all the theatrical stops in order to introduce its newcomer to the world in a bizarre stage-musical style ceremony that included live performances from pop singers Emile Sandé, Eliza Doolittle and the Kaiser Chiefs, culminating in a car chase where the XF was pursued into the Earls Court exhibition hall by a pair of classic Mk2 Police cars.

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Set to go on sale early in 2015, Jaguar is withholding a lot of the technical details of the car until closer to its on sale date, though the rear-wheel-drive XE will be the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever, with a drag co-efficient of just 0.26. It is built upon Jaguar’s much-documented new iQ-Al aluminium-intensive monocoque body structure, along with a new range of four-cylinder diesel engines known as Ingenium.

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Jaguar Land Rover’s new family of four-cylinder units will initially only be available as a 2.0-litre diesel in the XE from early next year. Codenamed AJ200D, the new unit offers 75mpg and emissions of only 99g/km in the XE (free road tax, then…) and will also go into other new models, including the recently unveiled Land Rover Discovery Sport. A 3.0-litre Supercharged V6 petrol engine will also appear in the more sports-oriented models, with 340PS.

But it’s in the realms of in-car tech where the XE is expected to be an innovator. The infotainment platform, with an eight-inch touch screen, runs a number of built-in features, and also allows iOS and Android smartphone users to access apps via the in-car display.

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On top of this, Jaguar’s InControl Remote means smartphone users can control a number of functions – like the door locks, climate control and ignition – from wherever they are. Once back inside, the XE can double as a WiFi hotspot as well, with the vehicle antenna providing a strong enough signal for multiple devices.

Working alongside the multimedia tech will be a range of driver assist systems, including a laser head-up display that can project high-contrast colour images, such as speed and navigation details, onto the windscreen.

To win in the exec market, though, a car has to be as tax efficient as it is desirable. It certainly appears to score on the latter – so here’s hoping the XE delivers when it comes to keeping the accounts department happy. If it does, then JLR could be onto a winner.

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Craig Cheetham

112 Comments

  1. amazing event, amazing car. simply stunning. and i actually think the interior is really cool. those door cards are fantastic. now, hears hoping it comes with walnut as well lol

  2. Very obviously a smaller version of the XF, but made of aluminium as will be the new XF when it, too, is announced. So unlike the hotchpotch of styles under the late Geoff Lawson, Jaguar are now imitating BMW with a common style theme. Whether I personally like it is another matter, but I am sure if the benefits and reliability are there and the price is right, it will sell. It appears the petrol engines will not be available straightaway, which is a pity.

  3. Jags are my car, my brand (oh, and Rover). But that dash…….would look right at home in any Peugeot. Sorry, but not good enough for a car of this calibre.

    • I have to agree with you on the interior – its lacks any real sense of occasion compared to a Rover or current Jaguars such as the XF. That said, and in its defence, I do like the simplicity and lack of clutter of its interior; something that cannot be said of most German cars. Jaguar has clearly taken a leaf out of the Swede’s rulebook by not festooning the cabinet with loads of switches, which is no bad thing. Nice big switches too.

      As for the exterior, I rather like it. Again, it is confident yet subtle and refined, not in-yer-face blatant or downright intimidating like a tattooed bouncer at an X Factor roadshow. The XF was always going to be a difficult design role model to beat, as it still looks fresh and engaging. The XE as its smaller brother works well in adopting some of its design cues but also having an identity of its own. Roll on the other variants such as the estate…

      • I have just viewed additional images of the XE, including of its interior, and conclude it looks more appealing in the almond colourway. As a small but pernickety point, finishing the dashboard’s stitching in a contrasting colour, as already offered on the F Type, would help. However, I suspect more details about interior packaging and trim details will be released at its debut at next month’s Paris Motor Show…

  4. Ooh er, missus ! It looks like ( and sounds from the spec as though it is ) a kind of down-market XF . Will JLR never learn the lesson – don’t compete with yourself ? The debacle with the XJ has been bad enough , but this has the makings of a catastrophe . And before people launch in saying what a knocker I am , I have loved Jaguars since I was a boy in the early 1950s, and I own 3 of them

    • Please enlighten us to the debacle of the XJ you refer too, the car was launched to massive sales increases, awards and plaudits from ALL that drove it, the only thing the didnt like wasthe black bit on the back pillar, and thats all…

  5. looks interesting until I saw that interior. Boring. you look at the dash most when you are driving, especially when stuck in traffic jams. Was hoping/exepcting more design flair on that fromt. Disapointed.

  6. A de-cluttered and de-chintzed XF with the poise and stance of a BMW 3 series. Nice, not thrilling, but nice. The sort of smart, inoffensive car that should do well in its intended markets. It is less Jaguarish, but given current Jags sell at a rate of around 1:100 against the German opposition you can hardly blame them for trying something different. For every Gin and Jag owner who will turn their back, their will be 100 corporate user choosers ready to embrace. I’ll reserve judgement on the interior until I see a non-sports version. JLR never do “Sports” well.

  7. Looks great, the high MPG and low CO2 emissions are what is needed for a car of this class.

    They need to guarantee resale values such that the monthly HP payments can compete with the established 3 series and A4 in the company carparks.
    No-one is going to pay 5 series/A6 monthlies for an XE…

    I like the interior. Reminds me a bit of the 9-3, especially facelift 9-3s with the integrated large screen entertainment system.

  8. Err not bad but just an XF been put into a photocopier and shrunk. Not a bad thing but they should have added more curves – a jaguar haunch like they have on the F type. The interior is also a bit of a let down from the first view looks more like a mid range car than a high end motor, but then its no worse than the offensive BMW or Mercedes designs at the mo. The thing that will make it special is how it drives and how you sit it in. The old X Type had such a high seating position it didn’t feel like a jag – hopefully they have not done the same in this. Also let’s hope the ride is not boardering on german levels of comfort – yes they might handle well but they will knock ur fillings out when they hit a pothole.

  9. Nice car, but not Jaguar enough, specially because their interior. Hope don’t turn into a new X-Type like fiasco.

    Maybe could work better as a Rover saloon, or even as a replacement for the MG 6.

  10. When I look at a BMW an Audi or for that matter a Merc, they all have quite dull interiors. To get a really different interior you have to buy a Rolls, Bentley or for the retro a Morgan……. Its very rare for an upmarket mainstream car to try something different. The Rover 75 interior was highly unusual and to me, one of the best interior there has ever been produced on a mainstream vehicle but the history of that car and brand are well documented.
    Jaguar have played safe with this car and made it a progression just as BMW develop their vehicles. All the hard work under the skin. To compare this vehicle to the X-Type is simply unfair. The X-Type was an ordinary car with an old shrunk XJ body and 4 wheel drive. THIS IS CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY in every way. Yes the public need to drive it yet but everything I read about it makes it sound a leader.
    Production figures will be the judge but this is a stunning vehicle without the risks. IMHO

  11. was the show of the new babyjag not a bit to much?? nice car though, are all the specs & pics of the fattest R version? so maybe every lower placed XE will be looking less nice? hope not, interesting car, hope people will come out of their boring and oh so save german cars… 😉

  12. I think they’ve missed a trick only putting out pictures of one red sport trimmed model for the launch. From the pictures of the dash and front seats it looks like the inside of an Alfa Mito (and not in a good way).

    The leather and wood trim pics look better (although would have preferred more walnut on the passenger side, but presumably airbags make that difficult) and I think a couple of other colours should have been brought out.

    I hope it sells better than the X-type, any word on when an estate version might be available?

  13. Firstly, I am a Jag fan (I own an S-Type). I love the F-Type, new XJ, XK and really like the XF.

    This is a letdown for the following reasons:

    – It’s bland, there are no unique Jaguar styling cues aside from the XF/XJ grille. It doesn’t stand out in any way.
    – It lacks brand identity. This could be a new mid-market car such as a Mondeo.
    – It already looks dated and yet it doesn’t go on sale until 2015.
    – The interior is downmarket, bland and judging from high-res photos, doesn’t have the material quality you would expect from a Jaguar.
    – The whole product doesn’t convey a convincing luxury image.

    There is little here to conclusively beat the A4 and 3-Series on aesthetic qualities. The Mercedes C-Class offers a far nicer interior, with the quality look and luxury feel you would normally expect of a Jag, but which is lacking here.

    Now, the XE may be great to drive and have all the relevant technical gimmicks to compete in today’s market but it’s competing in a class that is defined by entrenched loyalty to German brands, all of whom are making extremely competent cars. It needed to stand out as a cut above the rest, not just be competitive.

    I’m sorry to say this of a new Jaguar product, especially coming after the fantastic F-Type, but this just does not excite. It’s not a Jag from an aesthetic point of view – it’s a corporate spreadsheet exercise that works well on a projected P&L account but less well as an emotional product I’d want to buy. And that’s what Jaguars should be – emotional purchases with timeless qualities.

    I hope it does well for the sake of keeping the company alive but after the horrendous launch shenanigans and the underwhelming look of the car, I hope they get some kickback on it which will shake the brand out of its “we must not be seen as old man” obsession it seems to be stuck with.

    • How can it lack brand identity when it looks so similar to the XF?
      The A4 is exceptionally bland and the 3 series a carbuncle. BMW have never regained their design flair since Bungle Bangle. I do however agree, that they have issued the wrong red and black interior for launch.
      If you remember the S-type was a sales flop, although it does have an original stand out look,(assuming you have the newer version).

      • It lacks clear Jaguar design cues and emotional qualities. I think the XF does as well to a lesser degree.

        Look at the F-Type, XK and XJ. Look at the pronounced feline haunches over the rear wheels, the sloping bonnet line bringing to mind a crouching tiger. Look at the grace of the way the shapes flow from front to back. Look at the contours of the bonnet, the low sloping roof line. Compare this to old Jaguars going back over 40 years and you will see the same basic ideas in those models too.

        This is brand heritage – clear styling cues that, while being interpreted slightly differently over time, all signal clearly at an emotional level that you are looking at a Jaguar.

        The XE lacks these. It’s angular, squared off, generic. Cover the badges and it could be an Audi, BMW or maybe even a Ford.

        It’s not ugly, just nondescript.

        The S-Type was not a sales flop – it sold REASONABLY well but not as well as it should have. Yes, it was retro and early versions were extremely staid and twee, but it was most definitely a Jaguar. Later versions with the body kit and facelift are actually quite aggressive looking.

        • John, the design cues are there in my View and if you covered the badge there would be no mistaking this to be a Jaguar. Yes its not as sleek as the F-Type or the XK but they are sports and GTs, its unfair to compare.
          The new XJ came under considerable criticism for its rump although I like it it.
          As maestrowoff said its “slightly predictable” but it is a good looking vehicle and very advanced. I agree it is slightly more angular and they are, in that respect, following Audi and BMW but that’s for a reason, the market wants that.
          They desperately need this car to be successful.Just following Jaguar curves and passion wont guarantee success. The mark needs to survive and without a good selling car in this segment…….
          I admire your passion for the brand but lets see if they get the sales figures needed. Jaguar is still a small numbers manufacturer with only a fraction of BMW and Audi sales. They don’t have much of a history in this segment and what they do have isn’t good. We all know they’re going to have to work hard to achieve.

          • My concern is over the long-term erosion of the brand’s values. What do people know Jaguar for right now? It’s mostly distinctiveness, beautiful styling, individuality, unique driving experience, luxury and performance. If you say Jaaag, a lot of people get what you mean straight away. There is nothing quite like a Jaguar. It’s these attributes that build the reputation of a brand and keep people coming back to it for more in later years. If you start to erode some of these things away, you slowly undermine your unique selling points. The long-term effect of this is that you no longer stand out in the market. Customers are unable to identify with what your product offers over the competition.

            A great example of this was Rover. Up to the early 70s, Rover were known for producing luxurious, distinctive, sporty and prestigious cars that were often technically, a cut above their competition. They were also known for fantastic build quality. Then, under BL, they started going downmarket. They began to cut corners on the build quality to save cost. We all know what happened with that. Then in later years, they started producing front wheel drive cars that were based on Hondas. They also applied the brand to cars in lower segments which resulted in vehicles such as the Rover Metro. Eventually, nobody really knew what the brand stood for. What’s more, if you are buying a top of the range Rover 800 Coupe for £30,000, then you could feel slightly aggrieved that the same badge on your steering wheel can also be seen on the front of some old ladies £7000 shopping trolley. Out goes any semblance of premium values.

            In an ideal world I would prefer Jaguar to stay away from the mid market. It would be great for them to carry on concentrating on producing high-end and luxury vehicles for discerning clients. However, I accept that the reality is they need to compete In the fleet market in order for them to survive into the future.

            Another example is Saab. Then there’s MG, of course. And arguably right now, BMW. It’s not really hit them as of yet but rest assured, their relentless range expansion and dumbing down of the driving experience will eventually come to bite them on the arse.

            You have to look at these things from a long-term point of view. The Jaguar XE may well be an excellent car from a technical standpoint. But if it starts a gradual erosion of the unique qualities that have always made Jaguar special, then it will be a serious mistake. With the rather bland and generic exterior and interior styling we’ve seen so far, I am seriously concerned that will be the case.

        • Interesting perspective, John Hackett.

          The competition in the C/D-segment compact executive car market has become brutal. Looking at the US sales figures, it seems the most distinctive cars are the ones which win the hearts and minds of buyers. Cadillac played it safe with the design of the ATS and its sales have fallen below expectations, particularly in trend-setting California. Lexus, meanwhile, produced a polarising yet distinctive IS/RC duo that seems to be selling much better.

          What’s your take on the C-X17 SUV concept?

  14. Sorry dull. Bring back Keith Helfet. They have borrowed the Audi and BMW photocopier for reducing / enlarging models. The interior is more interesting but the new C class does it better (apart from the LCD).
    Shame.

  15. Looks great. “Shrunken XF” is fine with me. Assuming they make an estate version and the new engines prove to be reliable, I’ll definitely consider one to replace our A4 in a couple of years time. Particularly like the focus on top notch infotainment – this is what buyers in this segment really want.

  16. I wish Jaguar well with this car. I cant wait to see it in the flesh. Spoke with somebody who was at the launch and voiced my concerns about how the interior looks in photos. He reassured me that the quality is superb, and while the dash does look plain he rekoned nobody will be disappointed.

    I am resonably confident that this car will be as well made and prove somewhat more reliable than its immediate rivals. I have had great experience with a number of XFs and have to say, other than they love to consume break pads/discs, the number we have had through have all proved superior in terms of reliability and costs to run than other premium marks.

    Love the site and reading everybodies different points of view.

  17. Looks fine to me if slightly predictable. But then the F type was a fairly safe piece of design as well. I imagine it will cannibalise sales of the XF badly though until that model is replaced.

    I expect to see plenty of these being driven aggressively by annoying people! Well better they drive like that in a Jaguar than a 3 series or A4 🙂

  18. It’s ironic that Freelander 1 was built at Solihull, with the X-type at the former Ford plant at Halewood, whereas now things have completely swapped around, with Freelander 2, its replacement Discovery Sport and the RR Evoque built at the ‘Jaguar’ Halewood plant, and the XE built at the Land Rover Solihull plant.
    Indeed the XE is the first non SUV to be built at Solihull since the SD1 and TR7!

  19. So, people are complaining about fripperies and ignoring the huge game changers.

    ALL Aluminium
    Sub 100 co2
    MPG in excess of 75
    zero tax
    congestion charge exempt
    and it weighs so much less than the competition

    All engines will be available from launch, including the ingenium four pot, the interior for me, looks far better resolved then either teh C-Class or 3-Series, whcih have stuck on sat navs, which look really stupid.

    the leather, alcantara, wood and metal trimmings are what is Jaguar, and they have not failed there either, and i am 110% sure that this car will drive equally as good as teh XF, meaning a class leader, like the XF was on its release.

    Jaguar does nooed to go over the top with raising vents, or the like, this car is the work horse, it will mostly be company car drivers that take this car on the roads, so having a car with less to have issues with is the way forward, not that they have had any issues with that sort of thing.

    This car will be teh car that takes Jaguar into the big league, and along with the miriad of variants, at least three others, will push Jaguar onto levels of sales they have never had before, you cant forgive them for being a little cautious.

    The car looks stunning, from whatever angle you look at it, and as far as i am concerned it will be sitting on my drive in June, on the first day of sale, deposit has been paid since March, thats how confidant i was of how good this will be.

    • oops, apologies for spelling, and for omitting the info of sub 100g co2 will only be on one car, but that car will be one of the best sellers.

    • The new engines, light weight and amazing mpg figures all sound great. As stated, I’ll wait a couple of years for the first owners to do the beta testing, and if the car proves to be reliable with no horror stories, I’ll be keen to buy an XE Sports Tourer when it is launched.

  20. As an X-type owner, the dash doesn’t appeal; but I guess the marketing people wanted it to look less plush than an XE (which, incidentally, still looks bang up to date, especially as a saloon).
    RWD and alloy structure – perhaps I should go and beg for a test drive. The X type is the best handling front drive car I have ever tried, but it doesn’t have that last 3-5% of steering feel and chuckability that an RWD chassis has.
    I put a lot of miles on XJ40 SDV’s earlier in my career. They handled beautifully. The S type is also an impressive chassis – possibly one of the best to come out of America.

  21. Good point Jag Boy. Everyone seems to be ignoring the cutting edge Engineering and worrying about an apparent dearth of slip on-shoe grey leather and shiny wood-grain formica a la XF and XJ. As I said above the de-chintzing is one of the best aspects of the car and something that will help it sell to “normal” premium car buyers. Agree about the choice of interior for this launch car though. Red and Black leather never looks good, what possessed them to show-case it with this?

  22. I saw it on the Thames and I thought it looked GREAT. None of those unnecessary lines going in the wrong direction, just one or two along the side to lead the eye. The sports model that was on show just looks as if it’s going to leap at you! Emeli Sande was pretty good too.

  23. Have just seen excellent photos taken of the car last night and am glad to say that it looks stunning. My friend saw it in the flesh and says it is stunning. He tells me that the interior details are simply perfect in their execution and from what he could obseve, the quality of the materials were exquisit. He thinks the lighter interior colour will be more popular. I fell for the current C-Class Mercedes when it arrived on our fleet recently but he tells me I should look forward to replacing it with the XE.

  24. I’ll have a 2nd bit of the cherry now, and say that a used one will be on my list in 4 years time. My XJ6 (the aluminium one), is abeuatiful car, but it’s 25 mpg is a bit off-putting now I’m retired and on a fixed income. I don’t want a diesel, just a more economical petrol car but still a Jaguar.

    PS, I see nothing at all about manual gearboxes. Surely they cannot achieve sub 100g/km CO2 with an automatic ?

  25. The dash looks as horrible as the dash of an early XJS! Where is the wood or the plastic which looks like wood?
    The rest of the car could be realy modern but I think the C Class has a much better looking design and a Lexus will do that better too.
    Inside any of the German premium cars will do it better and I think two engines will be a little too less!
    Rover had about seven engine variants on the 75 range and I think I do not have to say what you could get from the german brands!

    • Full details of the engine line-up have not been announced yet. I would expect further details to be released at the Paris Motor Show next month and a phased introduction of the engine line-up. There will likely be a phased introduction of engine size/type and trim level configurations too.

    • The photos don’t show it well, but I think that dash is stitched leather, not plastic. Probably much nicer in real life than in the photos. It’s 2014 – the youngish customers who actually buy these cars new have no desire for wood trim or (even worse) “plastic that looks like wood”.

  26. Now I’m a huge fan of Jag as anyone knows me even a little bit will confirm. But that dash…no. It looks like it has come out of a 15 k hatchback, not a brand new Jag. I was hoping it would follow the lead of the XJ and XF.

    Hopefully it will make up for this by being brilliant to drive.

  27. If there is no option of non-leather seats I will never buy a new RR or Jaguar. Some people do not want effing dead animals to sit on and JLR are deaf to this issue. Mercedes do Artico (fake leather) as standard on the C class and because of that a Mercedes will be next car.

  28. So, where is the chrome? What’s wrong with wood…? I Love Jags, I own one. And what I really like about her is the shiny bits on the outside, and the interior that looks like a livingroom… The same happened with the XF lately where they painted the chrome parts on the outside black… It’s just not right IMO, and now the interior looks like it’s made by Audi. If I wanted an Audi I would buy one…

    I do like the exterior, eventhough it’s just not “Jag enough”… But the interior is just….. mèèè…

    Mercedes does a much better job at interiors these days, so why does Jaguar come up with this?

    What’s next, a return of the non-leather seats such as in the X-Type… THE HORROR!

    • The reason the bits on the XF outside are black, is because thay have the black pack, you can still have chrome, and you will have chrone on this as well.

  29. Oh dear, this model launched is the top spec model, the other ones lower down the range will have chrome and wood, and leather, manual and auto gearboxes, the infotainment system will be standard accross the entire range, there will be a range of four pot petrol and dielsel, as well as high output V6 and later V8 engines.

    If anyone thinks that a stuck on nav system like on the C-Class is nice then sorry, but you have no taste, BMW do the same, it looks like a cheap halfords addition, whats wrong in, incorporating a nav system into the dash, its easily done, but no, the CClass interior, especially when in piano black, looks cheap and tacky, get in one, and start poking about, the movement of said trim, is really weird, like it is ready to drop off.

    The XE is competing in a new segment for Jaguar, teh 3 and C are old hat and people are ready for change, this car has proven already to be a hit, Jag has taken a significant amount of deposits before they are even ready to take orders, and in my eyes, it looks so much better than anything currently available from germany.

    • I agree that tablet-esque satnav in Mercedes is awfull, but the rest of the C-Class interior looks really nice IMO… this “top spec model XE” interior just doesn’t…

      • Agreed – it looks like it could sit inside a Ford Mondeo, such is the styling. Which is ironic as the car that did have a relationship to the Mondeo, the X-Type, did at least have a unique interior look and feel. For better or worse.

          • I just saw some pictures of the interior of the Bertone Jaguar B99, a small saloon Jaguar by Bertone…

            This is what a modern Jag interior should look like, not this production Audi-esque design…

  30. I think its guite ok but not stunning…. real nice colour that red though… so that will help. But I was expecting a 3 door version (alla 318ti) or something similar to the RX8 based concept from Ford. None the less, it is quite OK (not like the MG6 which is not quite good enough). The interior comments above – this is always going to be a problem on a “small” car where the market price is still a key factor. the 318 has the same problem BMW spent less money on the inside of the car (and it shows) but mechanically the cares are reliable and a great drive!. Alex

  31. Seen a close up of the dashboard in todays Autocar and it is growing on me. The instruments along with the steering wheel have been lifted from the F-Type and create a cocooned cockpit effect in front of the driver, whilst the centre stack and media screen have a Bang and Olufsen quality to them. Only the expanse of nothing in front of the passenger jars a bit, although on this car they are leather clad. Infinitely better than the dated Vodka Bar effect in the XF or the over the top gin palace that is the new C Class. Rather like a crisper, edgier 3 series – along with the rest of the car. It will be a car for drivers, not polishers and JD Power survey form fillers.

  32. The old BMW reliability argument is a joke. I know several BMW owners who have spent over the odds on what are quite ordinary cars with a German badge and I have heard of gearboxes dying prematurely, rainwater leaks and endless electrical faults. The arrogance of BMW and its dealer network somehow smack of the complacency that surrounded the Rover SD1 in the late seventies.
    However, at the time I would much rather have put up with the problems of a Rover 3500 than drive a BMW 7 series.

    • Weve got a 318ti its a great car although the interior is a little rubbish. the only thing I have replaced is the fuel pump in 4 years of ownership. My discovery 2 on the other hand in just two years, new rear suspension bags one burst the other wasn’t far off, new ACE hoses (one burst the other was near bursting), new air compressor died because the leaking airbag had overworked, abs faults needing reset, leds falling off the instrument panel, noisey tappets, valley gasket leaking water into the engine. IE im a bit over the land rover. The discovery has done less KM overall than the BMW. alex

  33. Darren – Indeed: Their are many parallels. Novel body construction, a new engine and a new (North Works) assembly building at Solihull where all features of the P6.

  34. Re all the comments on how the car looks.

    OK, it may be quite bland by Jaguar standards but which cars in this segment actually look better than the XE?

  35. I like the XE styling in the photos. It works better for me than the XF which looks like generic Insignia / 626 / Mondeo and is much too big.

    The interior looks – in the photos – awful. A black hell hole with a splash of red. So many german designed cars have interiors that are a depressing black, black and more black. I would never buy one of these. It needs a light colour around the cabin to make it feel cheerful and bright. Forget the leather as well – my backside wants the comfort of cloth.

  36. @ Paul, I think this was a one off, but I have heard several BMW owners complain about rainwater leaks into the interior of the car and electrical faults that have taken ages to fix. It’s not acceptable considering what BMW charge for their cars.

  37. My minds out on this one. Some angles look quite good but the dash – too plain? Have to wait and see one in the metal. This is Jaguar’s Rover 75. The future shape of the Jaguar (not Land Rover) business rests on this car and the other styles to be adopted on it. w=Will they stay a niche player in the exec market or break out? I reckon that’s why the interior is so non-Jag…

  38. I like the look of the XE initially – nice and chunky. However, I also would prefer the dashboard and interior to be in a lighter grey or cream with some wood (or wood effect) door cappings. Perhaps other versions in the range will offer this when the car is launched.

    I hope the car is a success and then it can add to Jaguar’s current popularity.

  39. I’m not exactly excited by this car, as I cannot see anything groundbreaking about this new Jaguar,dismissing the hyperbola about infotainment systems, it is just another contemporary car alongside the Mondeo, Insignia and Skoda Superbe, cars such as the 1955 Citroen DS and the Issigonis Mini were groundbreaking , those CO and mpg figures are almost certainly doctored by “cycle cheating” achievable only on rolling roads in a controlled labarotory environment, those who read the serious newspapers will be aware of the tide turning against the diesel engine due to Nox emmissions, Uk to face legal proceedings over Nox limits being breached in cities such as London Birmingahm Manchester, and Boris Johnson is backing measures by taxation and congestion charge to discourage diesel ownership.

    • nothing grounbreaking.

      The first car in this class to be built fully of aluminium
      the first car in this class to get sub 100g/km
      the first car in this class to achieve 75mpg

      all from jaguar… cant wait to get ours

  40. I just hope the XE doesn’t have the same glaring fault as the XJ and XF….

    …that Jaguar on the boot, it should be leaping from LEFT to RIGHT, not right to left ! It jars with me everytime I see one.

  41. mm – All this talk about London banning Diesels is for cars with engines that do not comply with the latest Euro 6 emissions standards. The XE does as indeed do most Diesels now on sale. It looks contemporary? – well thank god for that! Cant people understand, buyers for this sort of car don’t want a mobile sideboard. They expect “contemporary” before they will even open the brochure. That’s what sell’s cars, that’s want generates revenue and profit, that’s what generates the funds to invest in the next generation of models, that’s what creates a sustainable business that wont need bailed out or go bust every 5 years.

    • As to contemporary, I’m refering to the engineering, not the styling, if there anything new to say about the XF? Not really, why not have interconnected suspension (Hydragas) to provide a Rolls Royce ride quality but with some digital electronics to dynamically tune the setup, between comfort and sport modes ……the Jaguar “Pace with Grace”.

      • We are still with Euro 5, Euro 6 is not in place yet, Euro 5 diesel limit for Nox is comparable to Euro 2 Nox limits for petrol, and still double the level of a Euro 5 petrol car, Euro 6 is going to cost a lot of money to achieve compliance, basically diesel cars have been getting away with murder on Nox emmissions for at least 10 years, the tide may well be turning against the diesel car, and the cost of compliance, being extra bolt ons such as filters and heavy taxes on usage may reduce the attraction of the larger cars, diesel having been the saviour of such ie Mercedes and Audi

        • Audi A6 Ultra launched in April with Euro 6 114g/km Diesel. All the gubbins you refer to including SCR/Adblu. Audi have stopped taking further orders due to demand and current long waiting list. Most VAG products, latest Vauxhalls, Ford, BMW, Merc and others now selling Euro 6 diesels – whether it is currently mandatory or not. List prices all much the same as before.

  42. Generally, I like it a lot. My initial impression was that it could have been a bit more adventurous in the design externally with a more pronounced haunch over the rear wheels and a less BMW like rear boot appearance but jaguar are in my opinion absolutely right in their approach – visual links t the XJ, XF and F Type and appeal to younger buyers with simplicity of modern design – particularly in the interior.

    The market for this type of car is, I belive, dominated by the leasing companies and company buyers. The drivers whether owners or “user choosers” are predominantly in the 30 – 50 age group. Mid managers, junior professionals etc. They do not want to be driving around in grannies front room with wood and leather. In the age of social media and Grand designs etc they want modern, minimalist design etc.

    I think Jaguar have grasped this and generally ticked all the right boxes. Modern minimilast design, low running and benefit in kind costs, a family and brand continuity etc linkink to the recent “halo” car the F- Type.

    Landrover had a game changer with the Evoque and I hope Jaguar can pull off the same trick with the XE. A much harder job with the opposition from BMW, Mercedes and audi being frimly entrenched in this sector having built up a brand loyalty and perceived reputation for quality and reliability over a number of decades.

    It won’t be easy to succeed but I think this is Jaguars best chance for a long time

  43. Personally I find it rather dull and uninspiring from the pictures shown here, but I reserve further judgement as I found the XF much more exciting when being able to walk around it than on pictures (the XJ was the other way round though).

    All in all we have a conservatively (others said predictable) styled saloon, designed to sell in large numbers (no experiments!) trying to match certain bench-mark cars. From the figures that are published so far, we should check the 3-series, the 320d efficient dynamics in particular. Given engine power and torque of both XE and 320d are exactly the same, the Jaguar is about 4.5cm longer and 21kg lighter (is that all?). CO2 emissions are given at 99g (XE) vs. 109g (320d) per km. Prices (here in Germany): EUR 36500 for the XE and 36200 for the 320d.

    It also seems that Jaguar has catched up at least – and finally – with the driving assistance, safety and entertainment systems.

    Compared to the X-type, which at launch failed to match the best selling specs in its segment (small Diesel), it looks like JLR have done their homework properly this time. But only time will tell if this is good enough to get customers – in particular outside of the UK – out of their anonymous German small execs.

    But when looking at it, I tend to think that the XE in silver with black interior is just as anonymous as any A4, 3er or C-class…

    • But that’s what the market wants. There are not enough buyers wanting chintzy sideboards to even cover half the development cost of the XE.

  44. It’s a big step forward for Jaguar and buries the retro image they had in the noughties. The XE, if it is marketed aggressively and the quality is right, deserves to sell well. A 75 mpg Jaguar the same size as an X Type is very tempting to many people and since diesel is the major player in this sector now, Jaguar have got it right by offering most models with diesel as standard.

  45. Near the begining of this thread, Jagboy challenged me in his typically axe-grinding manner to justify my comment that the XJ had been a debacle in contrast to the great and well-deserved success of the XF. Out of 9826 Jaguars registered in the 6 months to 30.6.2014 , as best as I can trace 382 were XJ models. Need I say any more ? I take no pleasure in this comparison, but if Jaguar are to survive then those who work for them need to face up to reality . This sort of sales performance on the home market makes the Mark X look like a howling success

    • if you think that my comment was “axe grinding” then i am sorry but you are far from correct, i asked you quite politely to enlighten us on the debacle of the LAUNCH of the XJ, not sales some many years later, cars in that segment do not sell as well as cars in the segment below, may i politely ask you to check 7 series sales against 5 series and S-class against E-class, a similar percetage variation will be on those as well.

      I never have an axe to grind, i asked politely for you to supply info, which you have yet to do, if you class that as an axe grind, then i cant help that, only you can decide whether your wrong or not.

  46. The information is there in my post. The point I made initially was that it is futile to compete with your own product . The XF is an exceptional product ; the XJ is not , and unfortunately it is overpriced. I agree with you that the BMW 7 series in the last 6 or 7 years has been a disaster . Your point that the XJ sells in a class with relatively low demand has some validity, but in that case the expenditure on its development was a waste of resources. All this merely reinforces the point that the XE has to succeed, and to make it too similar to an existing successful product ( XF) is risky, putting it at its lowest

  47. You are of, course entitled to your opinion, and i, mine, The XJ makes significant profits, and sells fairly well, and is well worth the investment when you consider that it is used by the majority of Embassies around the world, as well as being the car of choice in a vast number of sponsored events, this is advertising that is reletively free, and thats is, as the advert says, priceless….

  48. The XJ hasn’t been a huge success, but seeing one today it is one of the best looking large cars in its class and finally has thrown off the sixties retro look. It doesn’t sell well, but this class is rather niche and S class Mercs and 7 series BMWs are pretty rare too( can’t remember the last time I saw the full size BMW). Also you have to add in factors that weren’t around 10 years ago such as a prolonged recession, fuel prices that have been as high as £ 1.43 a litre and the fact most of what this class of car can do can be done nearly as well by D segment luxury cars.
    However, the XE is where the money will be made for Jaguar and a car with the family XF look which promises to take the fight to the Germans and is every bit as good as the opposition( we hope) deserves to do as well as its predecessors like the original XJ. Who would have thought years ago that we’d see a 75 mpg Jag with 130 mph performance, when 22 mpg was all you would get from the basic model.

  49. BMW /Audi/Mercedes are money making machines with a large War Chest who could deprive impoverished Jaguar of oxygen, simply by predatory pricing, should they so desire.

  50. @ mm, Hopefully the new Jaguar will show up BMW in particular for what they are, manufacturers of vastly overrated cars.

  51. A really lovely car, but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. It’ll look like an XF wannabee when in reality it is something a lot more special than the average 3-series/Audi A4. With the new-made cache of the JAG brand, they surely could have produced a four-door ‘coupe’ version of this car- which would be right on trend. They could have exploited the ‘enthusiastic driver’ demographic more. A really nicely designed four door coupe- complete with ‘kick up’ haunches- could maybe go up against an Audi A5 Sportback and if they kept the price down, certainly against the successful Passat CC. I’m sure a saloon which sold itself as a miniature ‘four door F-type’ (using similar styling cues) would have punched well above it’s weight in this class.

  52. Jaguar have to move on, the sixties look is passe, a bit like Mercedes basing every car they made on a sixties 600. The XF is a fine car that brought Jaguar up to date and the XE should be a very good car. Also JD Power rate Jaguar extremely highly now and the brand is doing very well.

  53. Oh dear. That interior- what were they thinking?

    This is supposed to be a Jaguar- whilst I’d guess the quality of materials is likely to be up to scratch- where is the design flair? I realise they couldn’t go on making ‘old shape’ Jags forever, but surely there should be something other than the badge on the steering wheel that says ‘Jaguar’?

    And the exterior is nothing to write home about either- we knew there would be no fireworks there.

    Give me a Mazda6 anyday.

  54. @ Antigoon – I just had a look at the Bertone B99 jag concepy an it shows you can do wood leather and chrome and still be modern and chic. This shows you can do jag retro and modern at the same time – shame they aint used this look instead of the ugly XJ

      • Ha ha! That reminds me seeing a Rover 75 at the motorshow which had rust bubbles on one of the rear wheel arches, and the Fiat Barchetta which at the same show had a wrong gear knob which had wrong number of gears showing! Or the Renault Megane whose grab handle fell on my head when I got in!

        Ford use to have a department at Dagenham which use to finish off every show car. This was shut down in the early nighties and their show cars are not perfect anymore

  55. Oh dear…

    It looks like an Audi A3 on the verge of giving its significant other a blow job at the front and a Mazda (we sold) 6 crossed with a Saab at the back

    Its so derivative you could chop it up into little bits and sell it to Goldman Sachs.

    Verdict: its about as sexy as Jeremy Clarkson & Anne Widdecombe doing a nude version of Come Dancing.. quick, someone pass the brain-bleach.

  56. Good God – did they contract out the interior to a 19 year old Essex boy whose idea of grace and elegance is a Vauxhall Corsa with an back box that is smaller than his head? Even the lesser spotted chav would blanch at this.
    Someone mentioned it looked like it came out of a Peugeot – nope, they wouldnt stoop that low. Im thinking upmarket Dacia. The materials look cheap and nasty – and for ‘smartphone’ read iPhone – nothing actually competent will work with it (witness the amount of problems car companies have had with bluetooth “comms” between even Samsung phones and vehicles, let alone anything else).
    Whoever it was who spent hours in his back garden designing the Mark 2 Jag must be spinning in his grave fast enough to light half of England – this thing is an excuse for a Jaguar and a worse one even than the much maligned (although possibly unfairly) X-(wife)Type.

  57. He who designed the mark 2 Jag won’t be buying the XE, but his style conscious grandson might?
    Time moves on, and the retro-s proved if proof was needed that retro was a short lived fashion fad.

    To paraphrase the architect Saarinen ‘Each age must create its own architecture out of its own technology, and one that is expressive of its own zeitgeist’

    The XE is a car of its time.

  58. As a Land Rover / Jaguar fan, this is extremely dull and disappointing stuff. I an understand why the rear of the XF looks like an Aston Martin (and not a bad thing too), but why does this look like an Audi A4 from the back?

    My other concern will be pricing. My own Freelander 2 has just been replaced by the new Disco Sport, the entry level version of which seems to have risen in price by nearly 50% over the last 18 months!!! Will they do the same again and assume that they can charge a substantial premium over the equivalent 3 Series Rep fodder?

  59. Darren: I would entirely agree with you – but I always thought that a Jaguar was supposed to be one of the *best* cars of its time. Timeless, technologically advanced and with that certain something special. This has none of those attributes and the chances of one of these lasting 50 years is almost zero, 50 months might be pushing it with all the electronics.
    Just imagine, if designers grew some balls and didnt just copy each other. Imagine a jaguar 4 seater sports car based on a closed version of the Formula-E cars, rear engine and 4wd.. *that’d* be something special not this thing that looks like whoever is responsible for it had all the other designers barf up their ideas into a big bowl and pulled out the ones he liked with tweezers, like a japanese fetish film…

    @ Merle

    To paraphrase “As they pay, so can I gouge”. Its simple, if enough people think 35 grand is a reasonable price for a specific MINI, then thats the price of that MINI. The dumber humanity gets in general and the worse they get at haggling, the more the rest of us will pay… An example: Dual core android phone 50 quid, dual core Apple phone 700 quid! both do the same job just as well, so why the difference and how do Apple get away with it? Lazy, ill educated people with more money than sense who fall for the image (which is why they are so popular in the US, you know those lovely chappies who funded both the IRA and Bin Laden, what price the special relationship…).
    In the same way there’s BMW – 75% more on price to match the specs on the competition and people still buy them – why? because of the image and that little propeller badge. Odd how people will go totally doolally if some poor old sod is being accused of being a Nazi or having been within 10 miles of some unfortunate Jews who accidentally fell on some bullets, but they will still buy BMWs from the company that powered everything from the FW-190 to the Condor via the x88 series, you know, practically three quarters of the Luftwaffe (and a fair percentage of the luftskreitkrafte to boot) hence the badge.

    Interesting fact no.234 – Take a look at the Stuka prototype – the cowling looks a little odd… thats because what was bolted up to the carriers just happened to be a brand new Rolls-Royce Kestrel (the Merlin’s baby sister) – one of a batch sold to the Nazis.. you know, the people we knew we were going to be at war with…

    Alot of people on here will whine that what I am saying is completely unrelated to the subject – but the less educated you are as a person the less prepared you are for life in general and the more people can take advantage of you in whatever field… be it Israel hugging or conning you into buying a new car at three times the price it was last week…

  60. Quite like the XE, but like all new cars it is oversized for the amount of interior space. Would like to own one but really want something more compact and at a sensible price.

  61. It’s not even on sale yet and people are bashing the Jaguar XE. The company had to move on from the sixties, a lot of younger drivers probably find cars covered in wood and chrome rather outdated so the XE has decided to be different. However, if it was a new BMW 3 series, then What Car and the like would be falling over themselves to praise it as BMW criticism isn’t allowed.
    I would much rather have an XE than an overrated Focus sized car that offers little over its opponents barring a Bavarian badge and in surveys like Car Reliability Index is near the bottom.

  62. I haven’t seen one yet, looks good on the website’s pictures there’s plenty choice for interior & exterior trims, >> http://rules.config.jaguar.com/jdx/en_gb/xe/ I’ve just “spent” just shy of 50K playing with all the options and accessories… I however feel that Jaguar in the 21st century is perceived as a “big cars” maker, not a medium one, hence X-type didn’t catch on. It was as different to the German humdrum as the XE is today, will it fare better ? It was the same in the 60’s, Remember that the REVERED MarkII in 2,4L/240 didn’t have much to show against the Rover & Triumph 2000 after their 1963 launch(these were the execs to beat as much as today’s Teutonic hardware) so Jag pushed upwards with S-type/420-G. My experience with my 2,5-manual X-type didn’t leave me the best impression and I prefer by far the poise (not in the snow..)and “upper” class the S-type exudes(I’ve had both V6s: a Sport3L/manual & an XS-TD/Auto prior), the 3L being just as (un) economical than the X-type… Note: both s or X-type were no match to a Rover 75 ambiance IMO. I wish Jaguar good luck, hopefully it will succeed, just for the sake of the UK workforce behind it…

  63. Ugh…..Jaguar has lost their identity. All of the cars that everyone here seems to take pleasure in disparaging where unmistakably Jaguar from miles away. No confusion, no question. These cobbled together abortions that Ian Callum likes to pen up are non-descript mundane, Chinese toy factory cars. Just awful.

    The one and only reason that the pre 2008 cars where not popular was marketing. Only marketing. Tata has invested millions and millions in ads and events; but these new cars have none of the allure and mystique that Jaguars used to have. The old cars where low, menacing and dangerous looking cats for people involved in international espionage and the such. These new cars are for people who wear turtlenecks and carry golf-carts around in their trunk. This sad looking audi with a leaper running towards a ditch in the trunk has sealed the deal. just like everything else, the brand has been completely emasculated and with their sussy-homemaker SUV coming up next they will have the perfect line up for the working women and soccer mommies of the world.

    • Sadly, I agree ( the original XF excepted , which is dynamically streets ahead of the competition ) . The problem with Callum is one of taste . The Lyons Jaguars were wonderfully tasteful in every way . One only needs to see the abortion which is Callum’s take on the mark 2 to see why Jaguar have taken a wrong turning particularly in interior design , but in addition the increasingly tasteless frontal design will eventually prove a great handicap in my opinion – cars sell on looks more than any other factor

  64. I parked next to a new XE yesterday (white with grey & black interior). Only the second one I’ve seen, but it looks pretty good. The only thing is, from the rear it looks almost identical to an XF, so you can’t confirm its identity till closer.

    At least it maintains the “family look”.

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