Jaguar is preparing for the global debut of its entry-level XE sedan on September 8 in London with new information about the vehicle, which is expected to be the most fuel-efficient Jaguar ever made.
Designed around Jaguar’s modular vehicle architecture, the XE is the only car in its class to use an aluminum-intensive monocoque, with lightweight aluminum making up 75 percent of the structure.
Thanks to the lightweight body, the Jaguar XE promises “benchmark levels of ride and handling,” as well as high fuel-efficiency. Jaguar projects a fuel consumption on the NEDC combined cycle of over 75 mpg UK (62.4 mpg US or 3.7 l/100 km) and CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km. Jaguar didn’t say anything about engines, but the fuel consumption figure most likely corresponds to a diesel unit.
“The Jaguar XE body uses over 75 percent aluminum content, which far exceeds any other car in its class. This gives us a body structure with unrivalled low weight: it’s light but also immensely strong with extremely high levels of torsional stiffness. We’ve made sure our aluminum-intensive body structure exceeds all global safety standards without compromising on vehicle design or refinement,” said Dr. Mark White, Jaguar’s Chief Technical Specialist.
The XE’s bodywork is also said to deliver “exceptional torsional stiffness,” while incorporating “highly advanced suspension systems delivering unparalleled levels of ride quality, handling and steering,” according to Jaguar.
The XE is also the first car in the world to use a new grade of high strength aluminum called RC 5754 which features a high level of recycled material, helping Jaguar achieve its goal of using 75 percent recycled material by 2020.
By Dan Mihalascu
Photo Gallery
