Jaguar XE review - Jag's smallest saloon tackles BMW's 3-series head-on - Jaguar XE design

The XE is either another Ian Callum-led masterstroke or an unimaginative amalgamation of its rivals, depending on who you believe. It takes its cues from both historic and existing Jaguar products and a pleasingly taut, clean looking vehicle is the result. There are very vague hints of Audi and BMW to the dead-on and three-quarter rear views, but other than that it is unmistakably a Jag, with that leonine face and cab-rearward profile making for a sporty looking car.

Jaguar is trying to increase its exposure worldwide and so is going for a ‘family theme’ to its saloons; hence the XF looks like a slightly larger XE, with both similar in appearance (at the front, at least) to the XJ. The 'J-Blade' daytime running lights are incorporated on the XE but if we have one criticism, it’s that lower-spec models on 18-inch alloys can look slightly under-wheeled at the rear. Otherwise, it’s an attractive three-box design with the aggressive S model the visual champion of the range.