REVIEW

The Jaguar XE was always the unsung hero in its class, with a fantastic ride, tight handling and great looks. But it never really hit the sales volumes anywhere near the 3-Series or C-Class it competed against, so Jaguar is now hoping that this facelifted version will reverse the fortunes. The bodyshape is the same, but there is a thoroughly reworked nose with slimmer headlights and a more aggressive front bumper, while the rear gets new tail light graphics and a new rear bumper. This new P300 R-Dynamic HSE model is the absolute top spec with a 296bhp 2.0 litre turbocharged Ingenium petrol engine, AWD and an 8spd auto gearbox. Being HSE spec you also get a whole host of toys as well, featuring the new XE’s focus on tech; so there is a new interior (which was sorely needed) which has a large centre screen, new steering wheel, proper gear stick selector instead of the rotary dial and every safety tech option you could imagine. It looks like the XE has finally become the car we always wanted it to be.