Geneva show: All set for Jaguar ‘XE’

JAGUAR has announced ‘XE’ as the nameplate for its forthcoming mid-size sports sedan that will reach production mid-2015.

Using an all-new aluminium platform that was previewed with the C-X17 concept revealed in Frankfurt last September, the XE – which was shown only in teaser images in Geneva this week – is the British brand’s long-awaited new sub-XF rival for the likes of the dominant Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.

It is billed as the first aluminium monocoque vehicle in the mid-size premium C/D segment and will also be the first vehicle in the Jaguar stable to use a new family of high-output, fuel-efficient petrol and diesel engines dubbed Ingenium.

In the XE, these will be in 2.0-litre four-cylinder guise for both petrol and oil-burning variants.

Jaguar says the British-built Ingenium family offers the flexibility to introduce models that can reach a top speed of more than 300km/h as well as others that emit less than 100g/km of CO2.

The engine architecture, which will also be used in Land Rover vehicles, has been designed to suit inline and transverse installations for rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.

Jaguar’s vehicle line director for XE, Kevin Stride, said the engineering development of the new model has focused on “delivering customers with the most advanced, efficient and refined sports sedan in its class”.

Chief designer Ian Callum promised that the XE would be “every bit a modern Jaguar more compact in size but visually striking”.

“Customers will expect a great deal from a mid-size Jaguar – it must be practical but premium,” he said.

“We never forget we are designing a Jaguar and that means it must be as exciting to look at and drive as it is brilliant to run and practical to own. We believe we’ve done just that with the Jaguar XE.” Full technical details will emerge later this year when the XE is officially unveiled.