Jaguar is betting big on the XE. Is this going to be the 3 Series-killer

It’s hard to a judge a book by its cover. Similarly, it’s harder to judge how a car will perform on the basis of its looks. We were introduced to the all-new baby Jag with much fanfare. The XE wants to be a segment-buster by offering something that the current crop of premium executive sedans doesn’t.

This is not the first time Jag has tried to launch a car in the German-occupied premium mid-size segment. In the last decade, it was the ill-fated X-Type, which was are-skinned Ford Mondeo, and though it was sold for eight long years, it found very few takers.

Thankfully, the XE has not been spun off an existing model. Jaguar has invested in an all-new platform to rival Germany’s finest. The stakes are high for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), because this architecture will also form the basis for all future JLRs.As Nick Miller, Chief Programming Engineer, JLR, puts it, “The XE is developed on a flexible platform that can be lengthened or shortened as per requirements.” When asked if there would be a four-door coupe derivative of the XE, Miller brushed the question off by saying that the focus is only on the XE for the time being.

The XE’s design isn’t path-breaking in any way. Up front, the headlights and grille look too similar to the larger XF. The same goes for the rear, which gets a pert boot, but very generic tail-lights. We’re not too happy with Jag for playing it safe with the XE’s design. But with the ‘family look’ trending, we guess Jaguar has chosen to follow the herd.

On the surface, things might look familiar, but dive deeper, and you’ll see that the XE has an all-new aluminium frame. Jaguar claims that 75 per cent of the structure employs aluminium, while the rest is high-strength steel. At 1,474 kilos (for the XE S), it is a whole 300kg lighter than the XF. Choose the four-pot motor, and you can knock off a few more kilos. The weight savings mean there’s less stress on the engine. What it also does, is make the car more nimble, and this was one key reason why Jaguar extensively used this lightweight material.

In ‘S’ trim, power comes from the F-Type-sourced, 3.0-litre supercharged V6 that makes 335bhp and 450Nm of torque. Going by how eager this engine feels in the F-Type, we have a fair idea of the kind of acceleration and tyre-smoking potential the XE S possesses. To put that adrenaline rush into figures, the XE can sprint to 100kph in 5.1s, before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 250kph.

Transferring all that power to the rear wheels is an 8-speed ZF auto ‘box, which, too, has been nicked from the F-Type. What is interesting is that abroad, the XE will also be sold with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The new 2.0-litre Ingenium engines will surely be paired with the manual, but we are not sure if the high-performance S variant will get it. Expect JLR to give the manual a skip in India, as luxury car buyers here prefer the convenience of  an automatic.

To make it handle better, Jaguar has given the XE double-wishbone suspension at the front, while the rear gets a multi-link set-up. Jaguar claims this particular type of rear suspension is a first in the segment, and provides the best of both worlds: a good ride, and even better handling. Going by the wide stance and the 21-inch wheels, we do think the car will be a good handler, especially in ‘S’ guise.

Life on the leather-lined inside seems quite promising. It doesn’t feel as special as, say, an XF’s cabin, but the XE has quite a few gadgets to keep the social media generation entertained. The ‘InControl’ infotainment system comes with a large 8-inch screen, which you can hook up to your smartphone to access important apps from your phone. The system also allows you to remotely operate the climate control system, or even start the engine from your  mobile phone.

Other driving aids include the laser heads-up display, which provides information such as speed and navigation. Further driving assistance includes autonomous braking, which employs stereo camera technology as seen on the new Land Rover Discovery Sport. The camera can gauge speed, distance, and, up to a speed of 50kph, can automatically apply the brakes to avoid a collision. Though most of this high-tech stuff will be reserved for the high-end variants, we expect to see the infotainment system on the base variant as well.

With the XE, Jaguar seems to have created a real alternative to the other cars in this segment. The styling may not be revolutionary, but it still looks sharp. There are lots of features, and if the XE is capable of doing all that it claims to do, you may probably be looking at the new king of the hill. Yes, the Germans have a reason to be worried.