New 2020 Jaguar XE unveiled

KUALA LUMPUR: Jaguar has unveiled the new facelifted XE, which gets significant upgrades both in terms of cosmetics and mechanics. The British sedan has managed to include all new generation features and competes hand in hand with vehicles like Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series, and Audi A4. The revamped styling doesn’t add much to its price as it takes inspiration from the existing F-Type and F-Pace models in the brand's lineup.

The exterior of the base model gets a new bumper and revised metal grille protecting the engine exhaust at the front. The R-dynamic variant gets a sportier bumper at the front and black finish with an underbody diffuser at the back. The headlamps are now slimmer, and the new J-blade LED daytime running lights give the setup a sleek finish. The LED taillights also get a significant width-cut to be in synchronisation with the rest of the design.

The upgrades are more visible on the inside. A new dual touchscreen system manages the central console along with a Touch Pro Duo infotainment system giving the interior a futuristic look. The top display is for connectivity options like navigation and media while the smaller bottom display carries features like dual-tasking and climate control accessibility with dynamic dials.

The revisions are starker with the presence of Smart Settings, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to learn the driver’s preferences and make algorithms to adjust driver seat, mirror angle, climate setting automatically. Furthermore, the facelift XE features color head-up display, Jaguar Drive Control switch, SportShift gear selector, and wirelessly mobile charging tech.

On the performance front, the new XE gets Ingenium 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol and diesel engines The two petrol variants namely P250 and P300 deliver 250PS/365Nm and 300PS/400Nm, respectively, while the diesel variant, D180 delivers 180PS/430Nm. It gets an 8-speed automatic transmission across all its variants. With AWD, the P300 sprints 0 to 100 kmph in just 5.7 seconds, while the RWD version takes 5.9 seconds.