Introduction
Jaguar has introduced its new entry-level luxury sports sedan, the XE. When the 2017 Jaguar XE goes on sale in the United States in calendar year 2016, the new model will slot beneath the midsize XF and large XJ models.
The new Jaguar XE is a front-engine, rear-drive design that offers all-wheel drive (AWD) as an option. The company introduced the top-of-the-line XE S version at an event in the United Kingdom, where the car will be built in a brand-new factory.
Exterior Features
Based on Jaguar's new modular vehicle architecture, the 2017 Jaguar XE employs aluminum-intensive construction, and the automaker says the aluminum alloy used for the car's body panels are based largely on recycled aluminum.
Styled with cab-rearward proportions and with a short front and long rear overhang, the new Jaguar XE features the company's signature J-blade LED running lights and boasts a 0.26 coefficient of drag.
Interior Features
Though the XE will serve as Jaguar's entry-level sedan, the automaker promises generous legroom and headroom in a cabin that features a deep center console design that is intended to create a cockpit-st
yle feel for the driver and front passenger.
Standard materials include double-stitched, fine grain leather and a choice between aluminum, wood, and gloss black cabin trim. Jaguar says the XE's instrumentation is inspired by the
F-Type sports car.
Optional Features
In addition to ambient cabin lighting in up to 10 different colors, Jaguar plans a range of convenience, safety, and infotainment options for the new XE, including a range of Meridian premium audio components.
Under the Hood
The same supercharged, 3.0-liter V-6 engine that's installed in the F-Type powers the 2017 Jaguar XE S. Rated to make 340 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque, Jaguar promises that 60 mph will arrive in 4.9 seconds and that the sportiest version of the XE will top out at an electronically limited speed of 155 mph.
An 8-speed automatic transmission equipped with shift paddles and a rotary-style shift knob puts the power to the car's rear wheels, and AWD is optional. The XE will be the first Jaguar equipped with electric steering, and the XE S will be offered with optional 20-in. aluminum wheels.
A new family of modular Ingenium engines will power other XE variants and will use a lighter version of the XE S model's 8-speed automatic transmission. Greater details will be available closer to car's market arrival.
Safety
Jaguar employs stereo camera technology for the optional autonomous braking system, lane-departure warning system, and road-sign-recognition system. In addition to these Intelligent Active Driver Assistance technologies, the XE can be equipped with blind-spot monitoring, closing-vehicle sensing, and reverse traffic-detection systems.
Technology
In addition to the aforementioned safety features, the new Jaguar XE will be offered with an adaptive cruise control system and a semi-automated parallel and perpendicular parking system. A new feature, called All Surface Progress Control, functions between 2 mph and 19 mph to ensure optimum grip and traction regardless of weather conditions and road surface, Jaguar says.
Jaguar's latest InControl infotainment system is installed in the new XE sedan, complete with an 8-in. color touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, and a USB connection. Available InControl Remote and InControl Apps technologies enhance the system, and Jaguar will also offer an SD-card navigation system with natural voice recognition and a Wi-Fi hotspot connection as options.
Jaguar also plans to offer an optional laser head-up display for the XE. Capable of projecting high-definition color images onto the windshield, this upgrade will provide vehicle speed information, navigation directions, and more.
Additional Research:
