Jaguar XE in the test - can he steal the show from BMW, Mercedes and Audi?

Jaguar wants to score with the compact cars with style, charm and driving dynamics. But is the XE really an alternative to a 3-series BMW, Audi A4 or Mercedes C-Class? A driving test.

• The second generation of the British sedan has become more chic.
• The XE has many digital gadgets on board, even a camera rear-view mirror.
• In terms of driving feel, it is on a par with the German competition, including in terms of price.

Jaguar XE: A real eye-catcher

The eye always buys too. And so the design becomes more and more important in the fight for the car customers. With the Jaguar F-Type *, they have sufficiently proven that the English can build chic cars. But it doesn't always have to be a sports car. Even with a limousine like the XE you can see how one or the other admiring look of the neighborhood reveals. However, there is an increased need for explanation. "Aha, so this is a Jaguar *", it says. No wonder, because the XE is still rather exotic in Germany. Since the market launch of the first generation in 2015 (as of the end of 2019), just 8,000 cars have been sold.

In any case, it can't be the optics. Compared to the already fast first edition, the new Jaguar XE has  even increased. The tight guy from the island has got new expressive aprons, the LED headlights blink narrow like the eyes of a tired but watchful cat. Crunchy, sporty and yet fine and elegant. You can already be seen in the pack of BMW, Audi and Mercedes.

Jaguar XE: interior relies on digital operation

In the inner life has done even more. Screens wherever you look. Everything digital - from the speedometer and tachometer to the large infotainment display integrated in the dashboard to the air conditioning and the wireless charging compartment for the mobile phone . A special praise applies to the user-friendly user interface . You can easily find your way around by swiping and pressing on the screen. The menu is clearly structured - and if you like digital gadgets, you will find it here. For example in flight tracking. Simply enter the number and you know whether your loved one will land on time.

Simply enter the flight number and the Jaguar computer will already track whether your loved one is landing on time.

© Jaguar

Another gimmick - but a very sensible one is the rearview mirror , which can be switched to display mode if necessary . Then he shows you a much wider and razor-sharp picture of the traffic behind the car. It is captured by its own camera in the rear of the vehicle. You can tell that the image in the rearview mirror is artificial by the fact that the rear window is missing in the supposed mirror, but at the latest when you want to check whether the hairstyle is still sitting.

View in the rear view mirror: The image is supplied by the rear camera and therefore offers a particularly good overview.

© Jaguar

The pedal information is too much for the good . A blue growing bar shows that you are accelerating, a red one shows how hard you brake. Sense? Questionable! There is also still a shortage of digital assistance . The polite virtual lady from the loudspeaker kept hearing and understanding problems. The navigation address was only understood after repetition like a prayer wheel. What is so complicated about the place name Emmering?

Here is the question of meaning. The bar graph shows that the car can brake and accelerate. Do you really need something like that?

© Jaguar

The finest materials in the XE ensure optical well-being. Leather, chrome, piano lacquer - here the British rank at eye level with Benz & Co. Unique is the clip design of the dashboard , which ends very elegantly and like a clip in the side doors. That you probably copied from yacht building. The view is poor because of the powerful and wide B-pillar. When turning, it is therefore advisable to do one or two more head dislocations so as not to overlook other road users.

The dashboard only runs out like a clip in the doors. This gives the driver the feeling of sitting in a yacht.

© Jaguar

The space available in the passenger compartment is also modest . The front is still there, although the legroom is already marginal. When swinging in, one likes to get a handsome bruise on the leg, the space under the dashboard is so tight. In the back, however, one cannot speak of boarding. It's more of a roll in and roll out, at least for an adult body. You sit reasonably well for that - when you finally sit. This is rather unsuitable for long distances. The judgment on the trunk  is also bitter : the sparse 410 liters are one thing. The difficult access due to the unfortunate loading edge and the small opening make loading and unloading really impractical.

Jaguar XE: This is how it drives on the road

Exact steering, balanced chassis. When it comes to dynamics, the Jaguar XE can keep up in the premium class.

© Jaguar

The Jaguar XE,  on the other hand, collects plenty of plus points when driving . Even with the smallest engine on offer, the 180 hp diesel , and four-wheel drive, you feel like the king of the country road. The Jaguar is immediately on the gas, even in normal mode. On the way in towns or speed 30 zones you have to concentrate to accelerate in a metered manner. The quick response is of course the program. When it comes to dynamics, the English want to be at least - if not even ahead. And that is also possible with precise, sensitive steering and a precisely balanced chassis, not too hard, not too soft. The 8.4 seconds that the diesel engine takes from 0 to 100 km / h on paper are not necessarily famous, but the power seems to be enough, especially in urban and rural traffic.

Fire-red play mobile. The Jaguar XE is great fun even with the smallest motorization.

© Jaguar

There are limits to this unit on the highway and at high speeds . If you want to be afloat here, you should switch to the two alternative engines that Jaguar has for the XE. P250 and P300 are two-liter turbo petrol engines and, as the name suggests, have either 250 or 300 hp. Equipped with the latter engine, the XE runs from 0 to 100 in 5.7 seconds. But then it costs just over 50,000 euros and has all-wheel drive. As far as the base price is concerned, the Jaguar is in good company. The 43,690 euros for the 180-hp diesel with automatic and rear-wheel drive roughly correspond to what the competition demands. Consumption swims in the middle of the field. The display showed 7.7 liters after about 800 kilometers of driving, which included a large proportion of moderately driven freeways.

7.7 liters consumption per 100 kilometers: the Jaguar is not necessarily a fuel-saving world champion.

© Jaguar

Also read : BMW 5 Series 2020: facelift and more electric power for the current generation .

Conclusion on the Jaguar XE D180 AWD S

The Jaguar XE is a Brit with (driving) style. The sedan with the big cat head in the radiator should please everyone who wants to stand out with a new car, but still want modern technology and driving culture. Minus points are the scarce space for passengers and freight. The XE is not necessarily a danger for the 3 Series BMW, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 - but a conceivable alternative in any case.

Short overhangs, broad shoulders. The Jaguar is also a strikingly chic sedan from behind.

© Jaguar

Datasheet Jaguar XE D180 AWD S

Also interesting: Also critical on private property: where can you wash your car yourself?

Rudolf Bögel

James Bond and his cars

To the photo gallery

* tz.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.