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-   -   Video Review: 2016 Jaguar XE (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/174602-video-review-2016-jaguar-xe.html)

Hello all,

This is my 3000th post & had planned to make it special.

I had the all new Jaguar XE over the weekend so got the opportunity to video review it, hope you guys like it :thumbs up

Likes;

- Amazing looks & good road presence
- Gearbox, 8 speed ZF unit is fast & smooth
- Handling Dynamics
- Ride Quality
- Fun to Drive (Thanks to RWD & good engine/gearbox combo)

Dislikes;

- Rear seat is cramped & Headroom too is limited
- Pricing, especially the Portfolio trim is too steeply priced
- Interior not as exciting as exterior
- No diesel engine option
- Service with JLR is still a gamble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K8tLmVQS7c

The video consists of a build up;



Then the car is reviewed on engine/gearbox performance, handling etc;



The model im driving is the top spec Portfolio 25t i.e. 2L 237 HP, 340 NM petrol.

Thanks :thumbs up

Other Key Observations;

- Though the engine specifications are similar to my 328i (N20 engine) But my BMW is much faster. Firstly the 328i has a factory quoted 0-100 km/h of 6.1 secs (also some websites and articles have quoted 5.9 secs) compared to this Jag's factory quoted 6.8 secs.
- This engine is actually Ford derived 2L Ecoboost & might be replaced with Ingenium petrol engine.
- Engine note is sweet when revved hard, but the exhaust should have had some more fruity note (Likewise in 328i i needed an exhaust upgrade to make the car sound good)
- Infotainment system is improved compared to XF & XJ but still not as good as iDrive user-friendliness.
- Spare wheel is a space saver.
- Battery is in the boot just like BMW's.
- Boot Space at 455L is smallest in the segment (BMW 3 series, Audi A4, Merc C Class are all at 480L) also it is a bit narrow because of the boot hinges.
- Headlights are regular HID whereas competition has started offering LED now also no fog or bumper lamps on the XE.
- No space for bottle storage in front doors.
- Though there is leather on top of the dashboard but surprisingly there is no leather on top of instrument cluster & feels Plasticky (cost reduction measure ?)
- While operating paddles the car in manual mode i did not know how to get back to regular D mode, Hence i had to go to S mode and then switch back to D. Whereas in a BMW if you have used the paddles & are not in sport mode (gearbox to the left) the car will automatically come back to D mode after some seconds.
- Operating the buttons on steering felt better than the ones on the dashboard.
- Inspite of so much of Aluminium usage the XE is weighing 1548 kg whereas the BMW 3 series weighs only 1505 Kg.
- My brother 6ft 1"(taller than me) sitting at the back while shooting the video was always complaining about the limited space, also the hump in the floor making things difficult for the middle passenger as well.
- Front center armrest is not that comfortable and feels a bit too hard, more cushioning would have been welcome.
- Driving Modes (Jaguar Drive Select) gets Dynamic, Normal, Eco & Winter modes. Not sure what the winter mode does, Can anyone with more experience with Jaguar clarify this ?
- Globally the car gets Heads up Display, the portfolio missing out on the HUD is disappointing.
- The car gets many Cameras which is a good thing - There is a regular reverse camera, 360 Degree View, Front bumper has 2 intersection cameras placed on the sides & then there is one in front as well placed on the grille above the Jaguar logo.
- Both trims get the same alloy wheel design. IMO the portfolio which is pricier by 7L deserved better looking rims to differentiate it being the top model (18"ers would have been nice too)

Awesome review as always.

Those exhaust tips, though. What were they thinking?

Lovely review Karan, your quality of reviews is improving day by day. Jaguar have indeed made a lovely driver's car and it is being applauded world over. How is the plastic quality/build quality compared to Germans?

What are the standard warranty/extended warranty options on Jaguars? Are there any service packages a la BMW? Has the quality of service improved as have read on the forum that their after sales is very shoddy.

Your acting skills are getting better ;)

A great review again of a fantastic looking car. I had seen a parked one in dark brown and man did she look good.

I know you've touched on a comparison with ur BMW - do you think this would be a good upgrade? How is the ground clearance - would she manage on our roads? And any idea of the on road prices?

Thanks for the video review. According to most reviewers the XE is the most entertaining car to drive in its class thanks to its very well sorted chassis and complex suspension. I think BMW quickly realised that if they go 'soft' with the 3 series, there are competitors waiting to snatch the title of the best driving sedan from them in this class. That's why the F30 LCI refresh is not just skin deep and they had to rework the suspension. With the new A4 around the corner the segment is really hotting up.

Coming back to the review, I felt you could perhaps include some more visuals of the cars exteriors and interiors. :)

Thanks ecenandu,

Yes, it really looks shoddy & deserved some thick black chromed muffler tips to compliment the dual exhaust setup.

Thanks coolboy007, appreciate your positive comments.

The plastic quality is not as bad as people have reported, its just the buttons were too 'clicky' which was not good.

There is a regular 3 year warranty & i think there is an extended warranty available too (Will check & revert). There are no service packages like BSI yet. Regarding service, yes there have been issues & we know they have a long way to go. But this car as its a more mass market car we will come to know in the coming months/years that have they really improved or is it the same.

Thanks samaspire,

The GC is surprisingly not mentioned in the brochure & also no where on the website. BUT it might be tricky so if you or any of your friends/relatives are going to buy the car, do testdrive with 5 people on board & take a call accordingly. In the meanwhile i have contacted some Jaguar personnel to get me the exact GC figure in mm.

Upgrade for my 328i ? Nope, as though the engine specs are similar my car is way faster than this one. Handing wise yes this is slightly better.
So a proper upgrade would be if they offer XE S (V6) as thats one of the best sounding 6 cyls & its the same one from the F-Type.

OTR Mumbai prices are;

Pure - 47.9L
Portfolio - 55.7L

* Prices are expected to go up from April onwards :Frustrati

Thanks Santosh,

Yes i agree the 'soft' rear setup of the F30 is a bit of a downer & XE's entry is well timed.

But another car which cannot be ignored today is the C250 diesel. This car was introduced around the same time i was shooting the video & boy with the 500NM engine the new C finally has the GO to match the SHOW.

Fair point, Thanks :thumbs up

Great review there!
The audio quality is much better in this video. Also it was fun to know the interesting tit-bits which have mentioned in the review. Also time to buy a POV goggles i suppose.
P.S. If you have any intention of reviewing the 2016 Innova I am in for a comparo.:D

Thank You Denzil.

Thanks to you & the BHPians who have given me inputs after every video & one of them being the audio needs to get better, hence i bought a new collar microphone which has indeed made a difference :thumbs up

Yes surely, lets do it :D

Great video review Karan. There is still a lot of scope for things that could have been included to make it stand out

• More exterior shots
• Rear bench video with driver seat set to your height
• Boot space and what all is included in tire kit, if any
• Some cold start and redlining exhaust tip sounds
• Shots of engine bay
• Some side by side comparison with your 328i

You can extend the video to be more longer so as to include the above content. Then it could become one point reference.

For GC you could do a crude way of using a 500 ml pet bottle and seeing whether XE clears and in comparison to 328i. Could give a perspective.

Keep up the good work. Look forward to next one. How about C250 d?

I still cannot believe it, and it may be all due to my own bias - Jaguar is closing in on BMW in their own specialization of making great driving cars. Well credit where due although if I'm not mistaken they've 'replicated' much of what BMW have been doing for decades in their own cars i.e achieving perfect weight distribution between front & back, RWD & light weight body shells using aluminium.

Frankly I've stopped keeping track ever since the days of E90 3 Series which still today, is my favourite. Ever since that I feel BMW have drifted a little into Mercedes territory (by offering better space in the rear, more comfort etc) and Audi (more tech, more square-ish boring designs & lighter steerings). I haven't driven a Jaguar and hence shall probably never understand how exactly it gets the praises that it does but somewhere in the back of my mind I feel that it may not impress me as much as the E90 did with its comparatively compact dimensions, excellent steering because the heavier the better it is for me and simplistic yet elegant layout both interiors and exteriors. If I had my choice I'd sacrifice the boot all day long and go for the Mini, because I also believe that the shorter the rear end of the car is, the more confidence one can have inside it, the 5-Door Mini is scary in that aspect - just goes and goes.

I feel that one man's ideal handling car can never be the same for another. A person can vouch for the endless grip of an AWD Audi and call it segment best in handling, another may love how the RWD M3 sways its tail when poked into a corner so dramatically while the third may love the great balance of ride & grip which the Jaguar offers (going plainly by your video review for that info). Going by the competition I won't be surprised if more brands step into this niche of tight driving cars.

Good review, better than the tired old Indian news channel reviews any day. I might hate you a little bit for the number of steering wheels of exotics you've got to poke around with thus far.

Thanks el lobo,

I really appreciate your post & your suggestions :thumbs up

Well said there, indeed the choices & tastes differ from person to person. I can relate to it when i drove the Abarth for my video review & i found the driving position to be perfect where as many have complained about it.
Coming to the XE, IMO it has the right blend of handling / ride quality balance what you expect in this segment.

:D

Hi karan 561, congrats on the 3000th post! I like the video review. Short and precise.

About the Winter mode, AFAIK, the car directly jumps to 2nd gear for start from standstill(For 8 speed ZF). Also throttle response is dampened. Both these measures help in providing smoother torque to wheels to facilitate driving in ice/snow.

For 9 speed ZF, my guess, Winter mode will make the car start from 3rd gear. For 9 speed ZF, in normal modes too, the car mostly starts from 2nd as 1st is pretty low (1 st gear is similar to low range for SUVs)

Hope this helps.

Avinash

Thank you Avinash :thumbs up

Interesting points, in addition to that i think the engine mapping will be altered to give the throttle a more progressive feel & this will also take help of the cars traction control system.

So that makes me think that the winter mode should be suitable for driving in rains too ? May be yes :)

Karan, that's an amazing review.

As you mentioned, the exhaust pipes :deadhorse

Talking about the interiors, how was the driver seat comfort?

P.S : Loved the way you explained the technical details when you actually talk about that section rather than rushing the technical specs in the beginning and then talking about the car.

Thank You Venkat :)

^ Well as i say in the video the XE has good seat comfort for the driver and the front passenger, its just the rear seats which are cramped.

Also coming back to the Driver seat, i think the BMW 3 series seat is better as it does have adjustable side bolsters which really makes a big difference :thumbs up