We went to a fairly wet, windy and foggy Lisbon to escape the snow and wintry weather in the UK. The weather in Portugal was not perfect to test a new car for the first time, but certainly better than back home.

The cars we drove were pre-production versions; these are built ahead of the final production models to iron out any issues before full factory production starts. The factory will start building the final version very soon, with the first cars due be delivered to customers in late May. There are high expectations at Jaguar showrooms that it will be a success.

Taking a look at the XE dimensions versus its competitors, the Jaguar is 4,672mm long with the C Class at 4,686mm, 3 Series 4,624mm and the A4 4,701mm. The boot capacity in the XE is 455 litres, which when we looked at it, didn’t look that big and is about 5% smaller than its 3 German competitors that all have 480 litres each. 

The XE will only be available as a saloon and rear wheel drive at launch, whereas its main competitors all have an estate version as well, and most have all-wheel drive as an option too. No doubt Jaguar will already be planning to add to the range in the near future.

The engine line-up is just right and offers a good choice, although the large petrol engine will not be too popular in the UK, but should sell in certain markets. Jaguar is offering a 2.0 litre diesel with 163ps or180ps, a 2.0 litre petrol with either 200ps or 240ps, and a supercharged 3.0 petrol that has an impressive 340ps under the bonnet. The CO2 emissions start as low as 99g/km for the 163ps manual and go up to 194g/km for the 3.0 litre. The 163ps diesel accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 8.4 seconds with the 6 speed manual transmission and 8.2 seconds for the 8 speed automatic.  The 3.0 petrol hits 62 mph in 5.1 seconds. Across the range the official combined fuel consumption figure is as high as 75mpg, but like every other car, it might not be possible to achieve in real life driving.

The trim levels are: SE, Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio and the 3.0 litre S. Prices for the petrol 2.0 start from £26,985.00 OTR and the diesel from £29,775.00 OTR. The pick of the bunch would be the 2.0 diesel 163ps manual Prestige costing £30,775.00 OTR, which has the right size engine, low CO2 and a great level of specification.

The XE is a handsome looking saloon, it looks good from every angle, its proportions are completely on the money, and it is every bit a Jaguar. The front end with that large prominent grille, adds tremendously to its design, and is so bold and you instantly know that this is a Jaguar. This is very modern Jaguar that will appeal to old and young, male and female, yet retains the company’s heritage and tradition. 

Out on the wet and foggy roads around Lisbon the baby Jaguar drove like a large Jaguar. The handling is superb, it feels absolutely rock solid, yet not too hard a ride, it is very comfortable and a pleasure to ride in, either as the driver or a passenger. We drove the high performance 3.0 litre, which certainly has more than enough power, and it was very quick, yet very stable, but would not be the first choice, or even second. We also drove the 2.0d 180ps, which was so quiet, and had more power than you really need; you really couldn’t fault it. 

The rear seat legroom was good, but shoulder room seemed a bit tight, great for two people, but you could imagine it would be a bit tight if three adults wanted to share the rear seat. The front seats were very comfortable, with plenty of support. It felt larger in the front than it actually looked. 

The level of interior quality looked and felt very good, even on these pre-production models. The dash is very Jaguar, and the designers have done a great job on creating such a masterpiece in this size of car. It is a splendid work of art, and should be appreciated for its elegance and classy look and feel. 

The XE offers loads of clever technology that is available in a lot of other cars, but the execution of it in this car is very good. It is all easy to use, it’s as if the engineers have taken the best of everything out there, and made it better.

The main criticism we had on the day, and it was only a small point, was the fact the rear indicators were difficult to see in certain light and conditions. While we were following other XE’s, and it was raining and in places foggy, when the car in front indicated to go left or right, it was not clear that they were in fact indicating. Probably in more normal weather conditions or in the dark they are more prominent. Maybe a bit picky, but Audi offer the dynamic “sweeping” LED system that looks fantastic. Maybe Jaguar should have followed their lead, and for not a lot more cost could have offered as standard this very modern and technologically advanced indicator system. This is maybe something for the Jaguar designers and engineers to consider?

The new XE saloon will certainly be considered by new customers who have never entered a Jaguar showroom before and are looking for another premium car to replace their current German brand car with. But those Jaguar dealers need to be prepared for an influx of new customers who will be mainly fleet buyers that demand a high level of customer service, which is what they are used to.

Martin Ward, Manufacturer Relationship Manager

Press and Fleet Event, Lisbon.

Will you find something on the long list of standard equipment for you? 

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• Audi TT Cabriolet in Majorca - hope the sun shines in the Balearics
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