What's all this about?
Jaguar has freshened up its XE range for the 2017MY with some additional technology, but the big news is the addition of an all-wheel drive model.
Really?
Yes, Jaguar says the XE was always designed to have four-wheel drive and as the F-Type has already benefited from the hardware, it's a reasonably easy job to port the kit over to the XE.
You said model - is it not just an option across the whole range?
No. The two Ingenium diesels (163- and 180hp) and the three petrol engines (200-, 240- and 340hp) all continue in rear-wheel drive XEs, with a choice of six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmissions on the diesels and the eight-speed auto only for the petrols. The only XE that can be had as an AWD is the 180hp 2.0d, and if you opt for the security of four-wheel drive, you have to have the eight-speed automatic transmission.
What does it do to performance, price and parsimony?
Nice alliteration. The AWD model starts from £33,825 in base SE trim, adding £1,800 to the cost of a rear-wheel drive auto 180hp 2.0d. It has the same 140mph top speed as the RWD XE but is slightly slower on 0-62mph, at 7.8 seconds for the rear-drive example and 7.9 seconds for the AWD. Economy and emissions take the biggest hit, with the AWD recording 60.6mpg and 123g/km CO2, compared to bests of 67.3mpg and 109g/km on the RWD. That's because the four-wheel drive system adds 95kg to the XE's kerb weight, meaning the AWD racks up a portly 1,660kg on the scales.
How about the rest of the new kit for 2017MY XEs?
Additions for the range include a development of the eight-inch touchscreen InControl Touch infotainment system, with an optional 10.2-inch display offered on the InControl Touch Pro. An app to allow remote control of various XE base functions from an iWatch is included, as are two Meridian surround sound systems - the first a 380-watt, 11-speaker affair, and the second a brilliant 825W 17-speaker configuration. The Jag can now be turned into a Wi-Fi hotspot capable of supporting up to eight devices too, and three new drivers assist systems come on board: Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Speed Limiter and Driver Condition Monitor. The 2017 XE range begins, as before, at £26,990.
Matt Robinson - 18 Nov 2015