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Though the Jaguar XE sold for nearly a decade from 2015, it's entirely possible that as a buyer of a compact to mid-sized premium sports saloon, you might not have yet come across it. If that's the case, it's worth a look if you're after a car of this kind from the 2015-2024 period, particularly in the updated form we look at here, which was launched in 2019. This facelifted version was smarter, quieter and classier inside than the original and remained appealingly different to the usual German suspects in this segment. On paper at least, it at last seemed to have the design, technology and ambition necessary to succeed in this sector, with the dynamics of a BMW and the luxury of a Mercedes, plus all the efficiency and connectivity modern business buyers of this period had come to expect. It's a surprisingly strong contender.
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History
At its original launch in 2015, Jaguar's XE, the brand's smallest saloon, was tasked with selling in bigger numbers than any Jaguar before it. It didn't. And the British brand spent much of the next decade scratching its head wondering why. In 2019 they responded with a significantly revised version, which offered more luxury, technology and value. This was the car we should have had right from the start.
It's perhaps a touch ironic that Jaguar's first modern-era small saloon, the ill-fated X-TYPE of 2001, was a rather poor product that sold relatively well. While this XE, that re-branded Mondeo model's eventual successor, was a fundamentally good design that rather floundered in the market. Just 40,000 were sold globally in this model's first four years of production; to give you some perspective, that's about a tenth of the number of rival Mercedes C-Class models that Mercedes sold in this period every twelve months.
There wasn't one significant failing responsible for holding the car back. More a series of smaller issues that kept buyers loyal to German rivals; a rather drab interior; a lack of stand-out cabin technology; touchscreen communication and sat nav features that really weren't very good at all; the lack of an estate body style (which would have been welcome given this saloon's tiny boot); and running cost figures that were slightly bettered by competitors. Quite a lot of this Jaguar thought it could fix without a complete re-design, hence the arrival of a much-improved XE in the Spring of 2019, the car we're going to look at here.
The looks were more assertive, the cabin more luxurious and sophisticated, plus engine and trim choices were reduced and refined, plus there were a few things for the sales people to get excited about; a clever 'ClearSight' camera-driven rear view mirror. And 'Smart Settings' technology that used artificial intelligence to set the car up for your preferences as you approached it. Efficiency was prioritised too, the volume D180 variant being the first diesel car in its class to meet the EU's ultra-stringent RDE-2 NOx emission standard.
And of course all of this was achieved without harming the one thing people had always admired about this car; drive dynamics worthy of its historical positioning as a successor to Jaguar's iconic MK 2 model of the Sixties. It was a heroic effort to restore the XE's fortunes, but it wasn't enough and sales petered out some time before Jaguar withdrew from the UK market in late 2024.
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What you get
Jaguar claimed to have 're-invented' the XE as part of this update, which was something of an exaggeration but there's little doubt that this revised version had a more assertive air than its predecessor. In this form, every model got beadier LED headlights, sleeker LED tail lamps and alloy wheels of at least 18-inches in size. Like its sports saloon predecessor, the company's classic Mark 2 model of the Sixties, it remained a cutting-edge design, still the only car in its class from its era to use an aluminium intensive monocoque, part of the brand's lightweight modular vehicle architecture.
Take a seat inside and if you happen to be familiar with the original version of this model, you'll notice a significant move up-market with this updated version, thanks to far more extensive use of soft-touch materials and a completely different level of infotainment technology. As before, you sit quite low, cocooned by a wide centre console fashioned with stitched leather and piano black trimming that creates far more a cockpit-style feel than you get in period rivals.
There's a slicker 'pistol grip'-style gear stick from the brand's F-TYPE sports car to replace of the awful old circular transmission selector; re-designed door cards free up fractionally greater space for your elbows; plus there's a much higher level of spec, with the standardisation of features like leather upholstery and 12-way electrically-adjustable front seats. The key change though, lay with the addition of Jaguar's 'Touch Pro' technology, which brought with it a 10-inch upper screen and, on top variants, also a 5.5-inch complimentary lower one. Most models got a 12.3-inch 'Interactive Driver Display' digital instrument cluster too.
It's as tight in the back of an XE as it always was, the ambiance not helped by the way the high rear deck initially imbues a slightly claustrophobic feel. Once you get yourself comfortable though - maybe fold down the centre armrest with its twin cup holders and stretch your elbows out a bit - and you'll find that it's a little more spacious than it first appears.
Previously rated at 455-litres, the boot became just 410-litres in size in this updated model - against a class average of around 480-litres. Though this area was a touch more compact than before, the designers claimed it to be a more useful shape and sure enough, it remained big enough for a big golf bag, or alternatively, a couple of big suitcases and an assortment of small holdalls. If you need room for more luggage, you'll have to get a car whose original owner paid extra to get the 40:20:40 split-folding rear bench that most will want for the accommodation of longer items.
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What to look for
Most XE owners in our survey seemed very satisfied, but we did come across a few issues, though much fewer than with the pre-facelift version of this model. Most of the common issues relate to timing chain wear on the 2.0-litre diesel engines, frequently failure Diesel Particulate Filters and issues with the AdBlue selective catalytic reduction system. We've also heard of issues with faulty sensors, erratic warning lights and start-stop system failures. Thoroughly check the workings of the PiviPro infotainment screen - though this was much less prone to glitches and freezing than the equivalent monitor on the pre-facelift model.
Look out for scuffed alloy wheels that could be pricey to fix. And, obviously, insist on a fully stamped-up service record.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2020 Jaguar XE D180 2.0d) A mid-level pair of front brake pads are around £54-£73; a mid-level pair of rear brake pads are around £27-£63. Rear brake discs are £45-£85 per pair. A genuine oil filter is around £18-£26. An alternator is in the £220-£325 bracket. A starter motor is in the £145-£380 bracket. A cabin/pollen filter is around £15-£30. An oil filter is in the £10-£16 bracket.
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On the road
Right from the off in an XE, you get to experience what Jaguar's engineers call the '50 metre feel' - the all-important first impression that any vehicle conveys about the way it will drive. This one feels sharp, purposeful and, from the very start, beautifully composed over our country's terrible tarmac. Part of that's due to a much more sophisticated suspension system than most competitors use, a so-called 'Integral Link' set-up that's particularly good on a route with quick, sweeping, open bends, over which this car sweeps imperiously from turn to turn, soaking up undulations with perfect poise. The beautifully weighted steering also helps, though not quite so good is the 8-speed ZF auto gearbox that by 2019 was mandatory in all versions of this Jaguar. This can occasionally be found hunting around for the right ratio when rapid bursts of forward motion are called for.
On all XE models by 2019, that transmission had to be matched with a 2.0-litre four cylinder Ingenium engine; there was a choice of three, with horsepower outputs designated by their badging. Most will choose the D180 diesel unit, primarily because of its eco-minded frugality. Whether you opt for rear wheel drive or a version with the optional AWD set-up, it manages up to 50.7mpg on the WLTP-rated combined cycle and up to 130g/km of NEDC-rated CO2. Plus at launch, the XE D180 was the only diesel model in the class able to comply with the stringent RDE2 NOx emissions limit. There are two petrol alternatives, the rear drive-only P250 and the AWD P300 model. All benefit from a standard 'JaguarDrive Control' driving modes system that can help set the car up for the way you want to drive it.
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Overall
Back in the Sixties, Jaguar's classic MK2 model was arguably the market's original sports saloon. This XE, its most credible successor, returned to class contention in this updated form and certainly in this guise felt more like a proper Jaguar than it ever had before.
It's the kind of car that when driven hard, makes some others in its segment from this era feel distinctly one-dimensional. Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons insisted that a sports saloon of this sort must 'make you feel alive'. This one does; he'd have liked it.
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