There is a new entrant to the premium compact executive market and it’s British.
The all-new Jaguar XE saloon was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in London and the British premium saloon is going up against the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Low running costs
Jaguar has identified the key ingredients to delivering a company car: engaging to drive, cheap to run and great to look at.
Firstly, Jaguar has built the all-new saloon largely from aluminium to keep weight down – the body shell weighs just 342kgs.
Secondly, the new XE is very aerodynamic (its coefficient drag figure is just 0.26cd) thanks to its design and smooth underfloor. The front bumper even has special vents to smooth airflow over the wheels and the 17-inch alloy wheels are designed to cut through the air as efficiently as possible.
Combined with Jaguar’s most efficient all-new diesel engine, the XE saloon is capable of emitting just 99g/km of CO2. Company car drivers will be looking at a Benefit in Kind tax band of 17 percent for the 2015/16 tax year.
Safety kit and driver’s aids
Jaguar is also keen that the XE will secure the maximum five-star rating from EuroNCAP, the independent crash experts.
All XE saloons are manufactured to provide maximum crash protection and will be fitted with a range of airbags. Added to this is a phalanx of safety kit and driver aids including lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and automatic braking – for if the car detects an impending accident.
The automatic braking system helps to stop the car at speeds of up to 24mph, and will help reduce the impact at speeds up to 50mph.
Prior to that there is an audible warning sound and it’ll pre-arm the brakes ready to apply maximum braking pressure if the driver gets on the brakes before the system does.
Pedestrians also benefit thanks to a pop-up bonnet that creates a larger deformable area to help protect anyone hitting it. Once deployed, the bonnet can be pressed back down as it doesn’t use an airbag to lift it.
Uses smartphone technology
The all-new premium saloon from Jaguar also features smart phone connectivity. A smart phone can be connected via a USB port and then the car’s 8-inch touch screen effectively works as an extension of the phone’s.
The driver can access a range of apps that have been specially set-up for the XE’s in-car touch screen. Jaguar already has a range of apps that drivers can download to their smartphone to use in their car including sat nav, parking information and news. A smart phone can also be used to remotely check on the XE (such as fuel level remaining and whether it is locked or not) and to remotely lock or unlock the car.
Driving appeal
The Jaguar XE is designed to appeal to owners who enjoy their driving and the British firm’s aim is to provide the best driving experience in class. That means it’s going toe-to-toe with the BMW 3 Series.
Like most modern cars the XE uses electric-powered steering and has fitted it with variable, speed-sensitive assistance so it makes parking easy with small turns of the wheel.
The steering is also set-up to learn from the way it is being driven and will adapt the steering to suit the driver.
Jaguar’s Drive Control also features on the new XE, as used on its bigger siblings the XF and XJ saloons. This system allows the driver to select different driving modes such as comfort and sport.
There’s also an All Surface Progress Control (ASPC) that maximises traction no matter what the conditions are under tyre, including snow or ice.
The Jaguar XE is expected to go on sale starting from £27,000 in 2015 but final specifications and trim levels are yet to be finalised. It is expected these will be announced in early October (at the Paris Motor Show 2014) when the full range of engines will also be revealed, and Parkers will be bring you these details as soon as they are available.
