Test Drive: Jaguar XE provides on-ramp for younger buyers

The all-new XE is Jaguar's BMW 3-Series fighter.
The all-new XE is Jaguar's BMW 3-Series fighter.
photo The interior of the 2017 Jaguar XE is tastefully elegant.

Oh, my, this Jag can fly.

It's not so much the 142-mpg top speed, but the thrust-on-demand supplied by the 2.0-liter, turbocharged diesel engine that sets Jaguar's all-new XE 20d compact car apart.

For mountain driving, the XE 20d's 317 pound-feet of torque are ideal. Supplying bursts of power while charging through twisting roads is the XE 20d's forté, and its rear-wheel-drive setup makes for an exceptionally balanced driving experience. All-wheel-drive is available for a premium.

Priced under $44,000, the XE 20d gives Jaguar an entry-level luxury car that promises to hook young executives on the brand. The XE diesel's projected 43 mpg highway fuel economy may also excite driving enthusiasts who lean green.

"For the first time since 2007, we can entice entry-level luxury buyers with one of the most elegant cars on the road as well as one of the best performance cars on the road," said James Vandermerwe, general manager of Jaguar Chattanooga. "(The XE) has the best new-car warranty in the industry, provides free maintenance for five years, or 60,000 miles, and has passed all its German rivals in quality. "

The XE is available with three engine choices. For adrenalin junkies, there's the six-cylinder, supercharged Jaguar XE 35t, which features 340 horsepower and a neck-snapping 0-60 mph time of 4.6 seconds. Meanwhile, the XE 25t has a two-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that makes 240 horsepower.

STYLING AND COMFORT

Our tester, dipped in shimmering Italian Racing Red paint, cuts an elegant profile with Jaguar's iconic honeycomb grille, a gently sloping hood and rounded rump. The wheel wells are swollen just enough to accommodate an 18-inch wheel and tire package.

Five-spoke alloys are shiny and classically cut, befitting the maturity of the car. Although it is an all-new design, the XE - like other modern Jags - promises to age well. The designers used a high level of restraint to keep the XE's lines simple. There are no creases or overwrought character lines anywhere in the body work.

Inside, the XE shares its dash architecture with the new F-pace SUV - the other missile in Jaguar's new, mid-priced arsenal. We like the traditional mechanical gauges in the XE more than than the virtual instruments in the F-pace. The center stacks are nearly identical and feature rotary shifters - a design that was once a Jaguar exclusive but has begun showing up on more pedestrian sedans such as the Ford Fusion and Chrysler 200.

The all-black interior in our tester is a little monotonous and calls attention to the mid-tier plastics in the dash and door panels. The front seats offer occupants a full-body hug, and come with heating elements in our mid-level Prestige edition. The leaping cat Jaguar emblem on the three-spoke steering wheel is a constant reminder of the sedan's pedigree.

Jaguar clearly had the BMW 3-series sports sedans in its sights when designing the XE, and the cockpit is indeed on par with the bimmer, although the back seat seems to have a little less leg room. My 9-year-old son fit comfortably in the back seat, but my taller, 14-year-old son had to fold himself into the seats.

Standard equipment on the XE 20d Premium includes upgraded leather upholstery, keyless entry, a heated steering wheel, navigation and Jaguar's new telematics interface called InControl Touch - a big improvement over the last generation. Also standard are a moon-roof, a rear view camera and a 380-watt Meridian Sound System.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

Diesel clatter is barely audible when you are standing outside the XE 20d and imperceptible when you are seated inside the sedan. Acceleration is surprisingly swift and linear. Most American drivers aren't familiar with the endearing low-end power of diesel motors, but a test drive will fix that.

Most of the XE 20d's nimbleness comes from raw power. At 3,417 pounds, it's no bantamweight. But the engine is up to the task. Steering is precise and road feedback is superb, dare we say equal to the gold standard BMW 3-series.

That Jaguar has managed a compact luxury car this refined out of the box is a testament to the engineering prowess of the British brand. If you read the fine print on the sticker, though, you'll notice that about half the car's content is sourced to Germany.

BOTTOM LINE

With the XE compact luxury sedan and the F-pace crossover now in inventories, Jaguar dealers are poised to have their busiest showrooms ever. With a price point in the mid-$40,000s Jaguar will no doubt offer compelling lease deals on the new XE models. The combination of elegance, performance and value promises to punch reset on the entire segment.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/ mkennedycolumnist.

Fast facts

- Model: 2017 Jaguar XE 20d Prestige

- Exterior color: Italian Racing Red

- Interior color: Jet Black

- Engine: 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged diesel

- Horsepower: 180

- Transmission: 8-speed automatic

- Fuel economy: TBA

- Local Dealer: Jaguar Chattanooga

- Price (as tested): $43,895

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