Ahead the next month Paris Motor Show, when details of new Jaguar XE will be unveiled, its manufacturer has presented the lightweight luxury vehicle to the auto world apparently to whet the appetite of luxury car buyers.
The British premium automaker deliberately chose Earl’s Court, London as the event’s venue.
Jaguar Land Rover said it was a star-studded event as luxury car owners and enthusiasts came out in large number to welcome the rear-drive Jaguar XE.
The XE now completes the Jaguar saloon car range sitting below the XF and XJ models.
Described as a true driver’s car, the new Jaguar XE is set to redefine the concept of sports saloon, thanks to its advanced lightweight construction.
Other striking features of the new car are presented as streamlined styling, luxurious interior, and outstanding ride and handling.
The XE will be released for sale in 2015, with the high-performance S model at the top of the range, says the automaker, in a statement obtained on Tuesday.
Engine performance
The XE comes with 3.0-litre V6 engine and it rewards drivers with superb responsiveness and refinement of its supercharged engine, generating 250kW and 450Nm of torque.
Its high-revving engine is linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift controls, giving the driver immediate access to the vehicle’s incredible reserves of power.
Accelerating to 96.5km/h in just 4.9 seconds, the XE S has an electronically-limited maximum speed of 250km/h.
The Vehicle Line Director, Jaguar XE, Mr. Kevin Stride, says, “Jaguar’s position as the leading premium manufacturer of aluminium vehicles allowed us to develop a light, stiff body structure that is ground-breaking in its class.
“It enables the XE’s advanced chassis technologies to deliver an unprecedented balance of agility and levels of refinement previously found only in vehicles from the segments above.”
Chassis
The new XE has sophisticated chassis and may set the benchmark for ride and handling, no wonder it is described as a true driver’s car. Where most competitors use MacPherson strut front suspension, Jaguar uses superior double wishbone configuration.
The lightweight body
Jaguar says the XE is the lightest, stiffest and most aero-dynamic Jaguar saloon ever built. It is also the first Jaguar to be equipped with electric power steering, tuned to provide exceptional responsiveness and feel but with lower energy consumption than hydraulic systems.
Jaguar’s Chief Technical Specialist, Dr. Mark White, says, “The XE is as strong and light as it could possibly be thanks to exhaustive analysis and by bringing the latest engineering techniques to bear on its design. It has been challenging to accomplish but the XE’s structure is absolutely at the cutting edge of what is achievable today.”
The design
Jaguar has a rich history of producing stunning, aero-dynamically efficient cars. The new XE continues that tradition.
It notes that this achievement is the result of 1,200 computational fluid dynamics simulations and more than four million hours of processor time.
The Jaguar Director of Design, Mr. Ian Callum, says, “Our mission was to create an exciting and dynamic design clearly reflecting the XE’s positioning as a serious driver’s car. The cab-rearward proportions and tight packaging achieve that and give the XE the appearance of movement even when it’s standing still. It bears a strong family resemblance to the F-TYPE and will stand apart in the crowd.
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Interior
The car comes with exquisite materials and finishes, which combine with the traditional Jaguar craftsmanship to make the inside magnificent and about the best in its class.
The cabin has outstanding levels of comfort and spaciousness.
Jaguar notes, “The spacious cabin cocoons front seat passengers with a deep centre console which creates a cockpit-like feel.”
It says the front and rear seat occupants will enjoy generous amount of head and legroom – the XE proves that sleek, streamlined styling and interior space need not be mutually exclusive.
Its technical fabrics, fine-grain leathers and details such as contrasting twin-needle stitching are said to give the cabin a bespoke quality.
“The choice of gloss black, textured aluminium, and contemporary wood veneers enhance the luxurious, hand-crafted feel,” the statement adds.
Exterior
In the rear lights, a horizontal line intersecting a roundel is a powerful styling feature inherited from the E-type.
This car is noted as the first model designed around Jaguar’s all-new modular architecture and the only car in the class to use an aluminium-intensive monocoque.
Much of the aluminium is high-strength, 6,000-series alloy. The body-sides are a perfect example: these complex pressings are formed in one piece, and what would have been 1.5mm gauge sheet has been reduced to just 1.1mm – with no loss of stiffness.
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