The mid-cycle revisions that Jaguar applied to the 2020 XE last year brought a handful of visual and technical updates to the British premium compact sedan.
The styling part includes slimmer lights at both ends and a sportier front bumper, while the technical bit has to do with the new infotainment system and a lower touchscreen display used to control the HVAC.
A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is available, as are a lot of other features, including a wireless charging pad and several safety gear such as Blind Spot Monitoring and Adaptive Cruise Control. These join the standard Automatic Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist.
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You may want to keep it light on the extras, as they will bump the price to a steep level. The base XE S starts at $39,900 in the U.S., while the R-Dynamic S has an MSRP of $46,295. RoadShow’s tester came in the latter spec, with options such as carbon fiber trim, digital dials, wireless charging pad and others making it almost $20,000 more expensive.
But is it worth paying that much money on it, or should you limit your choice to the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3-Series or perhaps the Alfa Romeo Giulia if you don’t want a German sedan? For one, the XE is a rarer sight on the road and looks pretty good. It’s reasonably comfortable, but not that spacious at the back and needs some further tech refinement, yet quite agile, especially on twisty roads, where the chassis performs great.
In the R-Dynamic, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes 296 HP (300 PS / 397 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. The car does the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 5.4 seconds and hits a 120 mph (193 km/h) top speed, with an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 25/34/28 (9.4/6.9/8.4 l/100 km) in city/highway/combined. The entry-level XE S packs a de-tuned version of the same 2.0-liter turbo four producing 247 HP (251 PS / 184 kW) that lets it hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 6.2 seconds.