Thanks to the friendliness of the Meziplyn program, we had the opportunity to test the new Jaguar XE . And so, while you can see a test of the new diesel in the attractive R-Sport trim in the video of this show, for this test I chose the four-cylinder petrol version in the basic Pure version. It's actually the most viable route to owning a new Jaguar , which makes it very attractive in my eyes.
Appearance
The new XE replaces the old X-Type model. He didn't exactly make a big dent in the world and most people probably don't even miss him. But the XE is really new (not only the design, but also the engines), but above all it is a real Jaguar . While the predecessor outright shouted to the world that you have a base model, you can buy the XE with a clear conscience because you just want one. And I would like one, because a car of this size is more than enough for me, the bigger brothers XF and XJ would seem unnecessarily large and maybe even heavy, because the body of the XE is mainly made of aluminum . But mainly I would choose it because of the appearance, which is well done – aggressive and tough . The cabin, moved as far back as possible, gives the car sporty proportions . Cloudy lights, a large grille and a bumper with large openings and an integrated spoiler stretched closer to the ground seriously evoke the shape of the face of a feline . And not some house mickeys, this is a bloodthirsty beast ready to sprint after its prey, bite into the nearest corner like a freshly caught antelope, and show it who's at the top of the food chain.
Interior
The car's cabin impresses with its high quality and precise workmanship . You can smell premiumness from the entire cockpit, especially thanks to the chosen light color , and no one you drive will suspect that you didn't have the money left for another Jaguar. This is what the premium segment should look like, and it's good that Jaguar knows it. Just as they know that a premium sedan can be equipped with a segmented dashboard of an elegant shape, which evokes the shape of a cockpit with a large arc that stretches from the doors to under the windshield. Traditionally, I appreciate a simple round steering wheel . That's the way it should be, no playing with racing single-seaters really belongs in elegant sedans. It is interesting, however, that the center of the steering wheel seems to be slightly offset from the center of the rim circle downwards. I know you're wondering what I mean, but it's an interesting detail that you'll notice when you're driving the car. The place behind the wheel is completely pleasant thanks to sitting in a high-quality and very well-shaped seat . It's comfortable enough for long journeys, but it also has huggable sides that can support your body when you tickle the throttle a bit in sharper corners. Perhaps only a long sports drive would catch the side guides of the seats on plums, but that was not even the aim of the car company. You should have an F-Type for such fooling around.
The on- board infotainment with the Meridian sound system is perfect. While it used to tend to be quite slow to respond, this one doesn't let your automatic tapping throw you off and responds instantly . You can then connect your external music devices via the USB, AUX inputs or insert classic SD/MMC cards, all of which can be found in the padded armrest . And the head-up display deserves praise, probably the best I've experienced so far. It is perfectly legible and does not interfere with your view through the front heated glass . The gear selector is round and slides out of the central tunnel when starting. This is another detail that will entertain you daily. The storage areas are equipped with a non-slip surface. I just don't like the wooden decor , which looks too old-world. I would prefer something more modern.
Of course , the place in the back is not intended for tall people and longer journeys. I fit in there, but I wouldn't want to complete longer routes there. In a normal sitting position, you do not touch the back of the front seat or the ceiling, but you feel that both are very close to your body. The trunk meets the standards of the class, there is a range reserve under its floor. By the way, it is placed on an attractive cast disc and not on a classic tin. Well done, elegance even in trouble, that's so British after all. And also the fuse box is located in the trunk and not in the engine, so you don't get so dirty over a little thing like a blown fuse.
Drive
The new XE is great to drive, which you'd expect if you're familiar with other modern Jaguars. But if you want to skip this paragraph, thinking that you won't learn anything new, wait for a reason. The new Jaguar XE has fantastic driving ! Yeah, that's right, and there could be three exclamation points after that and I'd underline it twice. Although there is an EPAS electronic booster , it does not rob you of the feeling of clear control. Is it supposed to be like that? But sure, it has, but go tell the competition, somehow they often forget about it. The deadness around the middle position and not quite sensitive response is starting to creep in even behind the steering wheels of cars that have always been among the clear favorites of enthusiastic drivers. It's a good thing that Jaguar doesn't want to participate in this trend, and that's why it paid so much attention to its base model. The advantage is also the possibility to use proven technology from already established models and, as I learned at the presentation, the front axle comes from the F-Type model.
The chassis offers a great compromise between comfort and stiffness . It handles minor bumps absolutely perfectly and does not bother your life with unpleasant jolts and jumps. Perhaps only really big potholes, which even in the Czech Republic you can only find on lower class roads, could coax a few loud bangs from the chassis. At the same time, however, when driving more sharply, it moves along the selected track with typical British artistry. All because it is wonderfully balanced (surgically precise 50:50 for the front and rear axle). No, it doesn't play sports car and doesn't feign high-speed ambitions by lacking lean. In addition, the car has excellent brakes , the effect of which can be excellently and sensitively dosed. But above all, they can tame this wild beast even if you drive it very sharply. Pleasant silence contributes to comfort, even at higher speeds. The nice sound heard during acceleration deserves praise.
The automatic transmission is precisely set and practically does not need you to intervene in the selected gear stages. But if you want a lot, you also have paddles under the steering wheel, so some correction is possible. Response to paddle commands is immediate . Maneuvering the car is facilitated by a high-resolution reversing camera . In short, I didn't notice many mistakes while driving and I just enjoyed the quality of the car and the positive response that Jaguar evoked on the streets. For example, when else will a Ferrari Dino driver give you a thumbs up?
Impressions of the 2.0 TD R-Sport version
When I sat down in the diesel version , we naturally expected a difference in sound. And yes, after all, the characteristic tone of gasoline always belongs to premium sedans more than the clatter of diesel units. Today, however, the sound of the unit can be suppressed, even replaced, which again looks a bit like pretending. Fortunately, they avoided this with Jaguar, but they did play a little with the tone emanating from the powertrain. In normal operation, the car is very refined and quiet , although not as much as the gasoline version, it does not try to make its presence known. It is heard only during sharper acceleration , when it sets up a very nice coarser hoarseness . It's not the classic sound of a four-cylinder diesel, but luckily it's not a fake speaker sound either, which would get on your nerves after a few kilometers. The sound no longer affects the switching on of the sports mode , which is mainly intended to hold higher revolutions and not to shift immediately to a higher speed, you can hardly start a little. You get used to it easily, and you can't have a manual anyway. Another difference was the black interior , which seemed cozier than the light one in the petrol version. By the way, in the R-Sport trim level, the dashboard is upholstered in black leather stitched with blue thread , which looks really cool. From the outside, the visible exhaust tip attracts attention at first glance, while the gasoline model had it hidden.
Conclusion
The final assessment is difficult. It's not the only premium car I've driven and tested, but it almost feels like one. I am delighted with the car because it perfectly combines all the things I like. It looks great and modern , showing no fake tinsel or tons of chrome. It drives great and is really fun on twisty roads, so you'll be looking forward to driving it. It is not bulky or too heavy, so you really feel the performance of the car and you are not moving an unnecessarily large mass of matter. And finally, it has charisma because it's a bad guy's car , which is great. I've always been a fan of the Joker and not Batman, Tom and not Jerry, Trautenberg and not Krakonoš, so I wouldn't be so excited about a car for lads.
Basic price (XE 2.0t Pure) 1,018,699 CZK
Basic price (XE 2.0d Pure) 1,021,119 CZK
Price of the tested petrol/diesel model 1,018,699/1,534,720 CZK
Compare the parameters of the Jaguar XE with the competition
Photo: Jan Koubek
