Jaguar XE. Did it work out well in the end?

On the one hand, the strength of the Jaguar XE is that it is less popular than its German rival. More special. On the other hand, Jaguar would like to sell more XEs. What will happen after the facelift?

Why Jaguar XE - a car from a very popular segment - is not sold as the manufacturer would like? Perhaps because when choosing a middle-class car, we first mention BMW, Audi and Mercedes in one breath, and only then we remember that there is something else like Lexus or Jaguar.

Jaguar XE however, it looked very attractive even against the background of competitors. Looking at him, we immediately see an F-Type advertisement - "It's good to be bad", in which Tom Hiddleston lists why the British play the best villains. The Jaguar XE looks both British and villainous – in one word: perfect.

However, it was developed 4 years ago, so in order to stimulate sales, it was necessary to refresh the appearance. New Jaguar XE It didn't seem to change its shape, but a new look with LED J-shaped headlights and new taillights - also LED - gave it a second youth. It just looks great.

Except for appearance Jaguar XE no one has objected before...

The problem was inside the Jaguar XE

Well, most objections were to the interior - right. I understand two sides of this "argument". Jaguar realized that by introducing the cheapest model at that time, which would become a gateway to the brand, it could offer more and cheaper materials, because this is the base model. On the other hand, buyers said: “But this is a Jaguar!” and they did not agree to such a finish.

And that the customer is always right, Jaguar recognizes and renews it. Jaguar XE there is practically nothing to complain about. Everywhere leather, soft and pleasant to the touch materials and plastic. Of course, this is not an XJ yet, but much closer to the BMW 3 Series, in fact, already at the level of the 3 Series, because it also shows that the designers could have had worse moments.

W Jaguar XE such a worst moment, this, for example, is the rail on the central tunnel, against which we slightly rest our knees on the bumps, and this one is assembled somehow - maybe only in this instance - and knocks on the elements from below.

I'm also not a fan of armrests. I don't know what went wrong, but both are pretty tough. This is also the first time I have encountered such a rough, laborious adjustment of the steering column. Also, I really can't complain about the interior though Jaguar XE.

jaguar it is prudent to abandon the spectacular gear selector knob - as the stories of some owners show, a burned-out motor in the actuator of this knob led to the immobilization of the car. Rare case, but still.

The concept of driving and multimedia is similar to the Range Rover. We have a large 10" screen at the top and a 5" screen at the bottom. The upper one is used for multimedia, the lower one - to control the car as such - controls the air conditioner, seats, driving modes, etc. There are also screen knobs that can simultaneously adjust the temperature and degree of heating of the seats. or select driving mode. It is very effective, but also useful.

By the way Facelift Jaguar XE this model received newer multimedia. We also have Apple CarPlay and internet connectivity, so if we're used to those benefits at another brand along the way, then in XE we won't miss them.

The seats are comfortable even on long trips, but it's also worth noting that there's plenty of room in the back as well. During the “sitting behind me” test (and I am 1,86 meters tall), my knees did not even touch the seat in front. Oh, the driving position is very low, almost like a sports car.

The soundproofing of the cabin and the Meridian audio system are also a big plus. In it, the subwoofer can bring the mirror to a state where nothing is visible in it - everything is blurry.

Chest Jaguar XE holds 291 liters dry and 410 liters wet. Sounds funny but jaguar it just gives you the option in two ways. A lower value was obtained in the VDA test, i.e. when the trunk was filled with boxes measuring 20 x 5 x 10 cm. The wet test is an unrealistic simulation of how much liquid will fit in the trunk if it fills each gap.

What does the Jaguar XE look like?

Almost Jaguar XE It looks so "fast", doesn't it? It depends on what aspects we are talking about.

The engine seems powerful enough. It is a gasoline, four-cylinder, two-liter engine, which in this version reaches 250 hp. (there is another 300 hp). The maximum torque is 365 Nm, already at 1200 rpm! This allows Jaguar accelerate to 100 km / h in 6,5 seconds and drive up to a maximum of 250 km / h.

The results are similar to the BMW 330i with xDrive - plus rear-wheel drive. However, just as some cars are slower on paper and seem faster while driving, here we often get the opposite impression. Jaguar XE it doesn't ride as if it had 250 hp. - I'll explain why.

The 8-speed automatic transmission (there is no manual transmission here) tries to keep the engine running at some extremely low revs in normal mode. As a result, we never get a fast response to the gas, literally every little acceleration requires a reduction. In the long run, this behavior is very annoying, so it's best to quickly switch to sport mode. Only then Jaguar XE drives as normal.

But here a second problem arises, which is the delay in this reaction to the gas. Jaguar XE rides a little like rubber. We strongly press the gas, it starts to accelerate, let it go, and the car “pulls” forward a little more.

Hence the relatively high fuel consumption, tk. when tested, I did not see values ​​​​below 11l / 100km on a combined cycle. In normal mode, the gears are usually so low that engine braking and idling through these sections is out of the question. You have to switch to paddle shifters, which are only offered as standard in the tested R-Dynamic version. Control from the steering wheel paddles is also not very fast.

So, we have a gearbox and an engine that are not fully tuned. So why is the Jaguar XE good? In charge of. The rear-wheel drive gives the Jaguar agility, and the well-calibrated suspension provides plenty of stability. The steering is a little artificial, but accurate exactly, so Jaguar XE always goes where you want. And when you get acquainted with this engine and gearbox, it turns out that XE it's really fast, and not just straight forward.

You want it but you don't have to

New Jaguar XE. it's an abyss compared to its predecessor. It looks even better, rides even better and is perfectly finished. However, it is not free from shortcomings, and even has quite a few of them.

Only because it is such a unique car, which, in addition, has a specific aura around it, that despite what worries us, we are ready to go to a car dealership. He has features that annoyed me a lot, and yet I still went in and out with a smile on my face.

Dinner Jaguar XE seems quite high because it only starts at 186 PLN, but the weakest engine here has hp, and compared to competitors the configuration prices are similar. Jaguar simply has more as standard.