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Ken Gratton6 Nov 2015
REVIEW

Jaguar XE 2015 Review

Luxury trappings are icing on the cake for Jaguar's powerful and dynamic XE sedan

Jaguar XE 25t Portfolio
Road Test

A new mid-size model to satisfy driving enthusiasts is just what Jaguar needed to adrenalise its global sales in a world where German prestige brands dominate. The XE, as noted in our local launch review , is a car with real potential to snatch sales away from BMW's 3 Series in particular. For this seven-day test, we sampled the XE trimmed to the luxury Portfolio grade and powered by the high-output turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder. The Jaguar XE range kicks off from $60,400 (plus on-road costs).

Driving Jaguar's XE sedan on home turf should have provided some additional insight lacking from the local launch just two months ago.

But frankly, there's not much to tell. For the most part, the 'small' Jag was just as refined and capable on the roads of Melbourne's outer east as it was in Far North Queensland. About the only significant point marked down against the Jaguar's overall competence during its week-long stay was some suspension noise over the concrete and cobblestones in the Carsales HQ hinterland.

The XE 25t driven by yours truly in Queensland was an R-Sport variant, whereas this seven-day test vehicle, finished in a striking metallic black paint, was tricked up to Portfolio level and came equipped with soft-grain leather upholstery, leatherette upholstery for the instrument panel, 'piano black' gloss veneer and a rear-window electric blind in addition to the R-Sport specification.

Other than that, packaging was identical to that of the other XE variants. So the rear-seat accommodation in this car was not ideal for adults, just like the cars tested at launch. Nor was the rear especially accessible. In fact, the roofline was quite low over both the front and rear doors (particularly the rear) and kneeroom in the back was mediocre at best. But the seats themselves were quite comfortable once the occupant was seated.

And at least there was no sunroof in the XE Portfolio to limit headroom.

In the driver's seat, slight looseness in the wiper and indicator stalks took the sheen off the XE's quality feel, although the Jaguar's overall solidity passed muster. The speedo was calibrated in two concentrically-arranged rings of numbers, with the 60km/h figure in the inner array, making it a little harder to read at a glance. In states where police get very hot and bothered about speeding, it pays to get in the habit of noting the speed from the digital display in the lower centre section of the instrument binnacle.

And as far as driver comfort was concerned the seats felt a little flat in the base cushion, but held the occupant in place securely.

As with other JLR products, the infotainment screen was simple to use, although it suffered the same syndrome as many cars fitted with such a system – doing triple or quadruple duty places the onus on the driver to back out of one menu to drill down through another (e.g. swap out of audio to navigation). At least it provided some basic information at a glance across multiple functions from the main screen (what street/road the car is on, for instance).

Buttons and readout for the dual-zone climate control system made it a cinch to use. It was the same with the cruise control switchgear on the steering wheel.

On the road, the XE impressed once again with its dynamic ability and performance.

The 177kW four-cylinder delivered its power more like it was supercharged, rather than turbocharged. From a standing start the XE was quick to get off the line, with little turbo lag apparent. The XE 25t was a bit slower to reach the redline once the needle passed 5500rpm. More power in the mid-range revs for performance was complemented by more torque at lower revs for effortless driving around town. Most drivers will be satisfied with the power and torque available, whatever their preference.

Up a steep hill with the cruise control set to 80km/h the transmission kicked down one gear, but the engine mustered enough torque to maintain speed, even below 2000rpm. On a light throttle the engine whipped through the closely-spaced lower gears of the ZF autobox, which was – as usual – very quick and fluid in its shifts. Shift paddles and the Sport calibration for higher shift points led to faster, crisper shifting. These enhanced the enjoyment to be had from driving the XE more assertively.

But the downside of that was unexceptional fuel consumption of 10.8L/100km for the week, despite the car's fuel-saving idle-stop system. In fairness to the Jaguar, a Mercedes C 250 tested over a year ago posted a fuel consumption figure of 10.6L/100km during a week's driving, and spent more time on the open road than the XE did. And a BMW 328i tested more recently achieved an average figure of 11.8L/100km.

The XE handled very much like the 328i, but with what felt like a higher level of mid-corner adhesion available. While the BMW was good, the XE took a small but decisive step beyond in terms of providing the driver the confidence to push a little harder – and reap the dividends.

The Jaguar was very responsive to driver input through the wheel. There was strong front-end grip, and the stability control held the rear-end in check with draconian resolve. Turn the stability control off and you could likely provoke oversteer, whether with power applied or on a trailing throttle. But the Jaguar's roadholding was excellent and breaking adhesion required some determination on the part of the driver.

Both the Jaguar and the BMW – now superseded by the 330i – steer very precisely and provide similar levels of feedback in their respective sports mode settings ('Dynamic' in the Jaguar). Unlike the BMW, the XE's steering remained communicative in the normal and Eco modes as well. The Jaguar pointed well at touring speeds and was easily held on a constant line through longer bends or at the straight-ahead. Braking was dependable and strong, but also brought the car softly to a halt, that softness only leavened by the rather abrupt idle-stop system.

Some initial impact harshness was evident over smaller bumps, but ride and body control at speed was very good, especially taking into account the XE's dynamic competence. Over speed humps or the sort of longer, high-amplitude bumps often encountered on country roads that see a lot of heavy truck traffic the XE was composed and compliant, but well damped too.

At speed the XE produced a subdued mix of wind and road noise, with tyres more prevalent on country roads and/or at lower speeds. The engine was rarely heard until it was operating under load.

One of the options fitted to the XE Portfolio was the auto park system ($1580), which was given a try in perpendicular parking bays at work. The XE coped reasonably well with the lack of room to make a turn that tight by signalling to the driver to select Drive, allowing the car to move forward and take another bite of the cherry to reverse a second time and squeeze in between the lines. However, when the going got really tight, the auto park system left a lot of margin for error. An experienced driver, using the reversing camera and mirrors could essentially park the car quicker with finer manoeuvring between objects. The auto park system would simply rather take 12 turns when four would do.

It has to be said though, the XE is a really easy car to park even without the option. More than just about any car I can recall, the Jaguar's large passenger-side mirror made backing very simple indeed, and particularly with the passenger-side mirror dipping when reverse was selected.

After a week in this particular XE, there are some minor niggles to report that went unnoticed during the local launch drive program – but none that would be called deal breakers. The XE remains a very convincing riposte to its German rivals in the market segment for mid-size luxury cars.

2015 Jaguar XE 25t Portfolio pricing and specifications:
Price: $74,260 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 177kW/340Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 179g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA

What we liked:
>> Looks great in metallic black
>> Feels great when being flung around
>> Goes hard, but is easy to drive

Not so much:
>> Not a lot of room to swing a cat
>> Occasionally noisy suspension
>> Minor build quality concerns

Also consider:
>> BMW 330i (from $69,900 plus ORCs)
>> Lexus IS 200t Luxury (from $57,500 plus ORCs)
>> Mercedes-Benz C 250 BlueTEC (from $70,400 plus ORCs)

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Written byKen Gratton
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
92/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
19/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
19/20
Safety & Technology
17/20
Behind The Wheel
19/20
X-Factor
18/20
Pros
  • Looks great in metallic black
  • Feels great when being flung around
  • Goes hard, but is easy to drive
Cons
  • Not a lot of room to swing a cat
  • Occasionally noisy suspension
  • Minor build quality concerns
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