The floodgates have opened and now we can talk about the 2016 Jaguar XE. Or at least the people who drove it can.
The reviews are in and they seem to confirm what I felt just by sitting in an XE earlier this month at the Detroit Auto Show. The latest try at a compact sports sedan from Jaguar might be aimed squarely at enthusiasts, instead of pretending to chase down the mainstream rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Car and Driver called the XE, “an anomaly and a heaven-sent savior,” in a category where the perfect balance between comfort, precise driving responses and genuine refinement that the BMW 3-series used to consistently provide has been lost.
Road & Track gushed over the engine in the top-line XE S, saying the V6 mated to the 8-speed auto, “bangs off shifts like a line worker on amphetamines.” Well, that’s one way to put it.
Like Road & Track, Motor Trend praised the electric power steering setup as one of the best, save for the Porsche 911 GT3, although both noted the steering lacked the same feel on the 2.0-liter diesel model with its smaller tires compared to the V6. Still, the car’s agility and talented suspension was high on the list of plusses here, too.
Auto Express would like to remind everyone that the XE looks better in the metal than in photos, an opinion I must second. That 2.0-liter, 180-hp turbodiesel (that the U.S. is getting, too) marks the debut of JLR’s new Ingenium engine range and makes good first impressions, except for the prototype car’s grumbly note.
Finally, Autocar, in a typically British fashion, noted the ride was excellent even with 19-inch wheels (apparently, the larger wheels ride better than the 18s, go figure). And it’s worth a mention that the British outlets seem less bothered by the XE’s touchscreen, which the three American reviewers derided.
The XE goes on sale this spring for basically every market except North America, where we’ll have to wait another year for all-wheel drive to launch with the car. But it looks worth the wait if you’re looking for a car in this class with a certain amount of prestige.
Like the Cadillac ATS, the Jaguar XE might be another reminder that some people still want a compact sports sedan with limited rear-seat space, but a feel that’ll make a driving enthusiast’s day.
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