First Test: 2020 Jaguar XE P300 S AWD

Back in the day

Transcript

00:00 From the land of Jethro Bovingdon comes the Jaguar XE.

00:04 Does it have the performance to back up its sleek looks?

00:07 This stylish sports sedan is Britain's answer to the BMW 3 Series.

00:18 It's pretty small, fairly heavy, and, as tested, costs over $63,000.

00:25 This is the P300S all-wheel drive, which means 296 horsepower from a turbo 4-cylinder,

00:31 routed to all four wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission.

00:36 That combo got this pedigreed sedan to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds.

00:41 Even without launch control, the all-wheel drive system made for great starts.

00:46 On its way to 60, the XE exhibited smooth upshifts and inspiring, though possibly synthesized, engine sounds.

00:53 The quarter-mile happened in 15 seconds at 93.7 mph, over a second behind a comparable BMW.

01:01 Around the figure 8, the Jag pulled an average of 0.71 g with a time of 25.4 seconds.

01:08 Testing director Kim Reynolds noted that the car was responsive to throttle mid-corner

01:12 and toggled safely between under- and oversteer.

01:16 The brakes on the XE produced a 109-foot stop from 60 with little ABS intrusion and consistent results.

01:23 The takeaway? This Jaguar has good moves and a balanced chassis,

01:27 but doesn't turn out numbers as impressive as its main competitors.

01:31 For the full story, go to MotorTrend.com.

01:34 [ End ]