Jaguar will launch the XE sedan in India by early 2016 and will be bringing the new lines of petrol and diesel Ingenium engines on offer.
Currently on display at the Paris Motor Show, Jaguar’s most affordable model the XE sedan will be making it to Indian shores by early 2016 to take on the likes of the Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 in the segment that have been ruling the market place. Based on the newly developed modular vehicle architecture, the Jaguar XE is built out of an aluminium-intensive monocoque chassis comprising of 75 percent light-weight aluminium and also has several components made out of aluminium to keep the weight at a minimum.
Aesthetically, the XE sedan takes design cues from bigger Jaguars but gets a wider grille and LED DRLs and coupe-like roofline that accentuates the sporty nature of the car, while the distinctive tail lights borrow cues from the gorgeous F-Type. In terms of dimensions too, the XE is a spacious sedan and puts up a good fight against the Germans with a wheelbase measuring 2835 mm, longer than the 3-Series and C-Class in the segment. The XE is also the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever with a drag coefficient of just 0.26.
Powering the Jaguar XE are the new line of petrol and diesel engines from the Ingenium family that offer performance and efficiency. The Ingenium family includes the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol motor available in two states of tune. The lower spec variant will make 200 PS of power and 280 Nm of torque, while the top-end model gets 240 PS and 340 Nm of torque. Diesel power on the other hand comes from the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine offered in 163 PS and 180 PS guise. The lower spec diesel engine is also the most frugal of the lot returning 26.5 km/l (EU cycle), while CO2 emissions are restricted to 99 g/km. All the engines come paired to a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmission.
There is also a top-of-the-line XE’S’ version on offer that will come with the 3.0-litre V6 engine producing 340 PS of power, paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission and could be brought in later in the product’s lifecycle. The XE sedan also packs in some neat state-of-the-art creature comforts and tech wizardry as well as the first in class independent integral link rear suspension system. With Jaguar most likely to assemble the model in the country, prices are expected to start at Rs. 35 lakhs (ex-showroom).
