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Gautam Sharma16 Jul 2014
NEWS

XE to be Jaguar's best-seller

Jaguar to reveal all-new BMW 3 Series rival in London on September 8, ahead of mid-2015 local arrival

Jaguar expects the all-new XE, which has been confirmed to make its global debut in London on September 8, to become its top-selling model in Australia following its local launch in mid-2015.

The leaping cat brand this week released the first of four technology previews for the new mid-size sedan, which will be its first direct rival for the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class since the unloved X-Type, as part of a drip-feed reveal campaign to be staged over the next two months.

Jaguar claims the aluminium-intensive sedan will offer “class-leading dynamics, refinement and technology”, thanks partly to its Integral Link rear suspension that’s claimed to serve up an optimal blend of comfort and control.

Other key highlights include front suspension derived from the F-TYPE sports car, a new-generation electric power steering system and a "world-first" All Surface Progress Control system that allegedly ensures rear-wheel drive traction from standstill even in extreme conditions

It’s expected the alloy-chassis XE will weigh less than its German rivals, and the powertrain line-up will comprise a new ‘Ingenium’ range of four-cylinder engines designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK.

“Jaguars have always been renowned for a balance of precise handling and a high-quality ride. The XE is the culmination of everything the company has learned over the years,” says Jaguar chassis development guru Mike Cross.

“The Integral Link rear suspension provides a combination of supple ride and crisp handling that is unmatched in this segment. We are on target to deliver a vehicle that dynamically outperforms our rivals.”

Jaguar claims the integral-link suspension delivers major benefits over conventional multi-link designs by providing lateral and longitudinal stiffness to deliver both sharp handling and the luxurious ride that has traditionally been a hallmark of the brand.

Keeping unsprung weight to a minimum, many components of the integral link suspension have been forged or hollow-cast in aluminium, says Jaguar.

Meanwhile, the aluminium-rich double-wishbone front suspension has been derived from the set-up used by the F-TYPE, with some mods to ensure it offers XFR levels of stiffness for a more ‘connected’ steering feel.

The latest-gen Electric Power Assisted Steering is said to offer similar levels of feel to hydraulic systems, as well as offering variable steering damping and enabling a range of Active Safety and Driver Aid features.

Also billed as a key breakthrough is the All Surface Progress Control system, which is claimed to be superior to conventional traction control systems.

Developed with the input of Land Rover’s experience in off-road traction systems, Jaguar claims ASPC can “electronically gain traction with far less drama than a human driver can achieve”.

According to the press blurb, the system works like a low-speed cruise control to deliver optimum traction in the most slippery conditions without skidding and without requiring the driver to modulate throttle or braking inputs.

Speaking at this week's local launch of the F-TYPE Coupe, Jaguar Australia Brand Manager Mark Eedle said the XE should easily become the British brand's top-selling model here.

"With XE we know there's a huge [sales] volume opportunity there," he said. "It will open up enormous doors for us.

"Yes, you'd expect it to be [our volume-selling model]."

Of the 1105 vehicles Jaguar Australia sold last year (up more than 40 per cent on its 2012 figure), the XF large sedan was its most popular with 874 sales (up 35 per cent).

Eedle pointed out that while the vehicle segments in which Jaguar Australia currently operates accounted for less than 10,000 sales overall last year, the luxury mid-size segment in which the XE will compete attracted more than 19,000 buyers in 2013, potentially doubling the brand's sales.

The Jaguar Australia brand manager dismissed any comparisons between the XE and X-Type, which was launched 15 years ago and will have been discontinued for five years when the XE launches here early in the third quarter of next year.

"We're come a long way since then," said Eedle. "Jaguar is under new ownership, has a new design language, an all-new aluminium architecture... It's a whole new generation. It's a different world for us."

The XE's status as top-selling Jaguar may be short-lived, however, with the brand's first SUV due in 2016.

Jaguar is yet to formally confirm a production version of the C-X17 crossover concept, which rides on the same aluminium platform as the XE, but it's certain to be one of the 50 new models Jaguar Land Rover has promised to deliver in the next five years.

When it arrives in SUV-mad Australia, there's every chance the production C-X17 will outsell the XE, just as Audi's Q5 has proved more popular than the A4.

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Written byGautam Sharma
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