R-Sport on the left, Prestige on the right
Today I wanted to start off this article with something witty and anecdotal but I somehow cannot find anything interesting to say. Well actually I have a lot to say, but then we'd never get to the car that is supposed to be featured in this article.
XE Prestige 2.0 20T
Jaguar
Land Rover recently launched their new small sedan, the XE. This is
the smallest Jaguar you can buy and it sits right in the compact
premium sedan segment which is very popular these days. You have cars
like the Audi A4, the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class in here
as company. It is company like this that car manufacturers cringe and
worry when they jump in. Ask Lexus. Their segment competitor is like
a candle competing against lighthouses. Their car may be good but do
you see many of them around? But then again, a Lexus is still not a
Jaguar.
Prior
to this Jaguar did not have a compact premium car in their line-up.
The previous one, something called the X-Type was something that
Jaguar itself would like to forget. Since I am writing about this
here, it means that people like me have not forgotten about it. That
car was something that was about as 'Jaguar' as a Ford. Built at a
time when Ford owned Jaguar, it was based on a Ford Mondeo and had too much
Ford DNA to actually be loved. In fact people liked the Mondeo more at that time. I think people wouldn't have
minded if not for the fact that it was a retro kitsch sort of affair
that would only attract retirees and those that though Jaguars are
supposed to be like that. They are not.
The
thing about Jaguar is that in the 1950s and 1960s they were at the
top of the game with cars like the E-Type and the Mark II. These cars
were considered the best you could buy. The Mark II was the sportiest
mid sized sedan you could buy. Bank robbers loved it. The police
loved it too. It had the power, speed and grace. So you see, a Jaguar
is about this and not something fuddy duddy or retro. With the
current crop, starting with the flagship XJ you can see a fantastic
mix of heritage and sportiness that a lot of cars lack. A sense of
occasion. The smaller XF series is also good in that you get the same
sportiness in a mid to large sized chassis with more youngish touches
in styling. This brings us to the new Jaguar XE.
This
car is now the entry level Jaguar everywhere. Here in Malaysia there
is the XE Prestige (2.0 liter 200hp - from RM340k), the XE R-Sport (2.0liter 240hp - from RM365k)
and the XE S (3.0 340hp - from RM580K for this supercharged beast) – these engines are still the Ford based
(Jaguar fettled) engines as the new Ingenium range of petrol engines
are not available as yet. I managed to try out the Prestige (also
badged as the 20T - 200hp 17 inch wheels) and the R-Sport (badged as the 25T - 240hp, 18inch wheels and sports seats). Priced from
RM340,000 onwards, it sits on the high price range of the compact
premium sedan segment. The car being fully imported is why it starts
a tad bit pricier than the others in its class.
The
Jaguar XE gets its styling cues from both larger XJ and XF Jaguars.
You get the similar nose that sits low with the same overall looks of
the XJ if viewed head on. This I totally like as that front end has
massive road presence exactly like its biggest brother the XJ. That large honeycomb grille and the headlights
form a very distinctive look that you instantly recognise as a
contemporary Jaguar. But whilst the front half of the car looks like it came
from the larger XJ, the rear takes after the mid-range XF. Not a bad thing but I do feel that it is just neat and simple with less 'wow' factor than the front. I
Suppose this is because the XE is Jaguar's bread and butter model.
You wouldn't want to have something so overtly styled and opinion
dividing if you want to sell in large numbers. And so, I personally
love the front end styling but I think the rear end plays it a little
safe. But in terms of overall stance and how it sits on the road, it
is visually appealing. This is because the way it sits on the rear
arches and that long bonnet makes you aware that it is a traditional
sports sedan with the engine up front and the driven wheels are the
ones at the back. And of course, the XE is a traditional rear wheel drive sedan. Drive it at low speeds and you can feel at the base of the seat that the car is gently pushing you along together with it.
So
once inside you are greeted to a very modern Jaguar. Less on the
traditional wood and more on the aluminium and black surfaces. The
dashboard seems to have come from the F-Type coupe. Which most of it
does with the exception of the pop up air vents in the middle which
is now fixed – as it should be even in the F-Type (I mean, why add additional electric motors for something like air vents?). It also has the familiar raised
edge that encapsulates you from the doors to the top edge of the dash
ending at a small Jaguar badging right in the middle of the dash. The
now familiar Jaguar gear knob still rises from the center console but
it is now located in the middle of the console instead of being
offset slightly in the larger Jaguar Land Rover cars. The reason is
quite obvious that this is a smaller car and has less width for the
engineers to play around with. The materials used throughout the car
feels good and premium – the Prestige gets a more simple
black/aluminium trim dash with black leather whilst the R-Sport gets
two toned leather sports seats that are more body hugging with R sport badging. Space
up front is good and the seating position is good with a lot of
adjustment for the driver. As for rear space, it is not class
leading, but it isn't cramped. So this is a youngish Jaguar cabin.
Nothing old fashioned about it but maybe this is why a
forty-something guy like me wanted a bit more wood in it so that I
could relate it to some Jags of old. But don't listen to someone who
likes wood, leather and patina. I tend to also wear sports jackets,
nice shoes and dress up all of the time at an age where casualness
rules.
Jaguar
says the XE's chassis has a whole lot of aluminium in it. More than
70% actually. However, this isn't translated to making the XE the
lightest in the class. It actually isn't. It is about class average
actually. What Jaguar's engineers have actually did is use a double
wishbone front suspension and their intricate Integral Link rear axle
suspension setup. I think the weight is in this complex multi-link
setup. However I believe the suspension in the XE is what the car is
all about.
Having
taken both the Prestige and the R-Sport out for a spin, I have to state that both
cars have ride comfort sorted out perfectly. The XE rides well on
both 17inch (Prestige) and 18inch (R-Sport) wheels. There is a
suppleness to how it rides over crests and bumps throughout the route
around the Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club where I tested the cars. No
jarring thumps or thuds and no wallow in the suspension even though
the car rode plushly. No bottoming out on speedhumps too. In fact, I
have to note that the ride could be the best in class and there is no
need for adjustable dampers here.
No
need for any adjustable dampers as when you feed the chassis all the power the engine has got,
the car is still able to take it all in, even in the more powerful R-Sport variant. It feels nimble and changes direction easily.
The electric power steering feels natural in terms of feel and is
precise. Not much body roll even in the lower specced Prestige with
its narrower 17inch wheels. At around 120kmh (this is a short drive
review with quite some traffic, no real chance to fully let loose),
all feels as quiet as a compact premium sedan should feel.
Luckily
the route chosen by the organisers had some nice corners, bends and
bad roads to test the XE on. The only lacking thing was the fact that
I couldn't take it on a really high speed cruise. When you drive the base
Prestige, the 200hp/280Nm torque feels merely adequate for a sports
sedan. You need the 240hp/340Nm engine in order to wag the tail a
little. The 200hp car does not feel as adjustable as the one with
more power. The problem is that the chassis is nicely set up for that
extra power that the R-Sport has. In the Prestige, when you apply power mid corner it still feels a little too planted.
Even on the slightly narrower tyres, grip is ridiculously good and the XE Prestige feels a little too planted and
more nose led to feeling sporty. The R-Sport's extra power allows for
the front end to turn with a more mobile rear end assisting. It feels like the extra horses allows the XE to feel more nimble and pivots easily during a turn. This
time it's about the car's balance and that the added engine
power allows for a more playful chassis.
The
other thing I noticed when driving both the Prestige and R-Sport
variants is that whilst the cars may have the same gearbox – ZF's
fabulous 8 speeder, the characteristics differ due to the power
output of the engines. In the 200hp Prestige, the engine felt
slightly strangled, a hidden hand choking off the supply of power.
The ZF gearbox here somehow works better if you left it in dynamic
mode (I.e the Sports mode) when the shifts somehow feel better than
in normal. In normal mode the gearbox seems to be a little unsure of
when to shift. What I think happens is that the sportier mode allows
for proper holding of gears and allowing the gearbox to shift at the
maximum performance level. This is somehow required to compensate for
the 40hp and torque deficit against the R-Sport. Maybe strangling or detuning this engine makes it a little cranky. Who knows.
However,
in the R-Sport, the 240hp engine shifts smoother in normal mode. In
the sportier transmission mode, it tends to be too aggressive and it holds a gear
too long for things to be smooth. This is extremely good if you are
attacking the road ahead of you, but if you just want to drive
smoothly, the best bet in the R-Sport is to leave the gearbox in its
normal mode and its splendid for most of the time you're driving the
car. It is obvious that the better of the two variants is the more
expensive R-Sport version due to the drivability of the car.
Now
I had to think a little before writing this article about the XE cars
I tested. I first thought that the XE did not bring much to the table
even though it had the aluminium chassis and all. But what Jaguar did
was make the car accessible to the younger set of crowd (and future
buyers of Jaguar) on how the car is styled and how it looks. It is
sporty inside and out for the younger crowd. This is the same crowd
who buys the Mercedes A-Class (A, CLA, GLA) cars in droves. It is the
same crowd that buys Audi cars too. These are all modern looking
cars. Whilst they have heritage behind them, they all look extremely
up to date. The interior is proof that this is the case – it may
have XJ touches, but it is all modern aluminium, piano black laquer
and two tone leather. No wood that contrasts or have lines and
swirls. Anyone with an A4 would feel at home in here (especially with
the good equipment specs given in the XE).
When
it came to how the XE cars drove I also noticed that refinement in terms
of NVH was good but not as good as say a W205 Mercedes C-class on the
move. I suppose that car is a baby S-Class in terms of refinement. And I have to state that Mercedes decided to improve the C-Class by making it more luxurious instead of going down the sports sedan route this time around. So whilst the XE does well in the road noise reduction department, the XE's engine noise refinement levels are not class leading. Jaguar seems to have decided to let the engine be more vocal when you rev it out - sportier definitely but quietens out when on a cruise or at low speeds. At least the 4 cylinder turbocharged engine has a decently nice growl to it.
But where the XE does give you heaps of pleasure is its combination of ride and handling. The XE's ride and handling could be
the best in class. This also happens WITHOUT the need of fancy adaptive dampers (and therefore added costs in the long run). You get
plushness and proper rear wheel drive antics in this chassis. A front wheel drive Audi will be all nose led and quite normal to drive. The rear wheel driven Mercedes C-class usually sees a
corner and surrenders into understeer a bit earlier (unless it gets
the sports spec dampers which then loses its plushness). The BMW 3 Series rides like a BMW, a bit harder in order to give great handling (and the fact that I do not think BMW does plushness like it was second nature). So I am somewhat of the opinion that the XE is actually an engineering marvel when it comes to having the best balance when it comes to ride and
handling in a sports sedan.
Of
course, other aspects like day to day ownership and equipment used as
well as high speed cruising/testing cannot be actually judged on a
short drive like this....but I have to say that the Jaguar XE R-Sport
may be the plushest riding compact premium sedan that is on sale in Malaysia. But it would also
whoop the heck out of its competitors in the sheer driving pleasure
department if you brought it to the racetrack or the twisties. In terms of comparing it with another Jaguar, it is better than the soon to be replaced in Malaysia XF sedan. Yes, for the thrill of driving, it is hard to fault the Jaguar XE.
So which of the two did I like? The Jaguar XE Prestige? Good as well, but if you buy it, leave the transmission in its most sportiest mode for it to be smoother to drive (and more fun) but don't expect it to dance as well as the higher powered ones. As i said its about the balance between engine performance and chassis ability (the XE has so much chassis ability that it needs more power). And in something that is supposedly a sports sedan, you'd want to to really dance. And so I'd definitely take the XE R-Sport. It's as simple as that. Heck, I'd take it over all the other cars mentioned herein if driving were the utmost in priority. Price aside obviously.
So which of the two did I like? The Jaguar XE Prestige? Good as well, but if you buy it, leave the transmission in its most sportiest mode for it to be smoother to drive (and more fun) but don't expect it to dance as well as the higher powered ones. As i said its about the balance between engine performance and chassis ability (the XE has so much chassis ability that it needs more power). And in something that is supposedly a sports sedan, you'd want to to really dance. And so I'd definitely take the XE R-Sport. It's as simple as that. Heck, I'd take it over all the other cars mentioned herein if driving were the utmost in priority. Price aside obviously.
The winner of the two Jaguar XE cars driven, the XE 2.0 R-Sport 25T
Pros: Equipment levels are high (as it should be), nice & wide touch screen infotainment system, nice youngish interior (for a Jag), good ergonomics, R-Sport 240hp nicely adjustable handling, ride and handling very good for both
Cons: space is class average, weight is still heavy for aluminium construction, Prestige version feels strangled a little in terms of power, R-Sport obviously nicer but pricier. Pricey...wish it wasn't.
Conclusion: Could be the best in class in terms of ride and handling if not for overall NVH, which seems to be about the class standard. In terms of which is more satisfying, the XE Prestige is good, but not great. The XE R-Sport is the more rounded XE to get. But it obviously costs more.
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