Skip advert
Advertisement

Jaguar XE review - Jag's smallest saloon tackles BMW's 3-series head-on - Jaguar XE interior and tech

XE's chassis is one of the best but lacks sparkle in other areas

Evo rating
RRP
from £33,915
  • Fluid chassis, responsive and well-weighted steering, comfortable cabin
  • Design lacks character inside and out, four-cylinder engines uninspiring

Jaguar abandoned the wood'n'leather gentleman's club vibe long ago, and the XE feels so far away from that ambience that it could have been created by a different manufacturer altogether. While there's nothing particularly wrong with the XE's cabin – if you ignore the InControl infotainment system at least, which still isn't on par with many rivals despite having been updated several times over the last few years – there's nothing that really marks it out as a Jaguar either.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Look closely and you'll spot the "Riva Hoop" that first saw service in the XJ, but in an otherwise conventional enviroment it doesn't particularly stand out like it does in the flagship saloon. What you do get is widespread piano black plastic and plenty of leather. We can't come up with many complaints when it comes to build quality or how switches and controls operate, but the basic design is fairly uninspiring.

The slight issues here come from just one or two areas, such as a cheap-looking leather gear gaiter on the manual models, some ill-thought out ergonomics (the light on the centre console that shows which driving mode you’re in is invisible in bright sunshine) and rear-seat packaging that makes it 'cosy' in the back for six-footers.

It's more comfortable in the front though, with a good driving position and plenty of adjustment in both the seats and steering wheel. Jaguar's rotary gear selector is feeling a little old-hat these days but still operates logically, and the steering wheel feels good in the hands.

Optional technology on the XE, beyond the standard-fit satnav and InControl, includes some excellent toys, such as a laser head-up display (although the graphics are rendered in strange green and red hues), a Meridian sound system, Adaptive Cruise Control and Jaguar’s new All-Surface Progress Control, which promises to keep the rear-wheel drive XE moving even in snow and ice.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI
Cheap sports cars
Best cars

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI

With the sun shining and fuel prices palatable, now is the time to indulge your used sports car desires
1 Jul 2025
Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?
Lotus factory
Opinion

Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?

Lotus’s latest troubles are grabbing headlines, but the writing’s been on the wall for some time.
28 Jun 2025
New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement
Ferrari Amalfi front
News

New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement

The Ferrari Amalfi picks up where the Roma left off, as a more capable, debugged super GT that’s finally brought back buttons
1 Jul 2025