Jaguar unveils its new XE
JAGUAR has finally taken the wraps off its eagerly anticipated new XE; the car it hopes will give BMW a run for its money in the entry level executive market category.
The new XE, unveiled at a star-stubbed presentation at Earls Court in London, is the company’s attempt to re-enter the volume sector and the introduction of the new salon follows a significant investment by Jaguar Land Rover.
Not only has the company built a brand new bodyshop at the Land Rover plant in Solihull, it has also invested £0.5bn in a new engine plant outside Wolverhampton to supply the power units for the car.
For last night’s great reveal, the company chose to exhibit just the XE S derivative. The full range will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show on October 2.
The supercharged 3.0 litre V6 XE S will be the top of the range when the car goes on sale next year. The engine will be capable of propelling the car from 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds.
However, it is the more moderate 2.0 litre Ingenium diesel powerplant which is likely to prove the biggest seller, especially with executive fleet buyers.
Jaguar is claiming the car will be able to achieve 75 miles per gallon and thanks to its all-new engine produce just 99g/km of CO².
The car’s performance also owes much to its lightweight all-aluminium construction – a first for the mid-size sector. The production process will eventually run throughout the JLR range.
The XE range will be priced from £27,000.
