WASHINGTON — The small luxury sedan has been the bread and butter for German automakers for years, but lately the competition has been catching up.
Now, Jaguar has a worthy competitor with the XE sedan. I drove the V-6 version and was blown away by the performance and handling, but the base trim level left some of the luxury out. So this time, Jaguar sent a different model to try: one geared toward better fuel economy and with all the options.
I enjoyed driving the XE 35t with its power last year, so I was a bit apprehensive about the 2.0L diesel when I saw it on the schedule. Luckily, it doesn’t harm the good driving dynamics of the XE sedan. There is good torque from the engine, so it still pulls smartly off the line; it’s not as punchy as the supercharged V-6 but it’s good for those who value fuel economy with a bit of sport baked in. It still likes back roads, and it has a comfortable ride for daily use, soaking up most bumps without really upsetting the ride. There is some diesel noise at the first start up and a bit at idle, but it’s pretty quiet for a diesel engine and works well with the 8-speed automatic transmission.
There are paddle shifters on the steering wheel, but I didn’t seem to use them as much as I did with the V6 XE. This XE 20D also comes with AWD that makes this an easy year-round vehicle with added traction when needed. Even with AWD, the fuel economy was pretty good. I averaged 35.2 mpg of mixed driving, 1 mpg better than the sticker. The XE has the stop/start feature that turns the car off when stopped, and it can be abrupt sometimes.
One of the drawbacks of the last XE was the lack of luxury items you come to want in cars now. The top Prestige trim level fixes that, but it does cost more. The starting price for my diesel AWD car is $45,400 but adds 10-way power and heated a heated steering wheel and leather seats. From there, you can add many more options. My car — equipped with most — was pushing the price close to $55,500. The Comfort and Convenience package for $2,100 adds ventilation to the front seats, heat to the rear seats, a power sun blind to the rear window and a power operated trunk lid.
Choosing the Technology package adds a large 10-inch touch screen, loud 825 watt Meridian Surround sound and Wi-Fi, which is a nice step up from the basic sound system. These options help out the interior some. However, like others in this class, there isn’t an abundance of space, especially for rear seat riders. Also, some of the materials aren’t as nice in this luxury class when compared to some competition. There are trim pieces that don’t feel or look right that are lower in the interior and are mostly away from eye sight; the door panels are a little odd also.
This small Jaguar packs a nice visual punch on the street, with that now distinctive Jaguar front-end styling. Its large grill with almost squinting headlights gives it a unique look in the class without being over-styled. It has the right proportions for the small luxury sedan class with its long hood but it adds a bit more with vents on those front fenders.
The passenger compartments also seem stretched and lowered, something Jaguar pulls off very nicely even for this smaller car. Of course, there looks to be almost no trunk with the way the rear compartments seem to blend in. The Prestige trim level has nice looking 18-inch wheels that seem to be the correct size for this car. Even the Italian Racing Red paint gives this an upscale look, and it gives this baby Jag a nice presence in the parking lot.
Jaguar is taking the small luxury sedan market very seriously with its 2017 XE, having different models that suit most luxury car buyers who want a British personality with the agility of the German sedans. With the diesel engine, you can skip frequent gas stops and still have a fun-to-drive small luxury sedan.
