Jaguar XE becomes art form ahead of Q2 local debut

According to the Indian-owned British automaker, the images, done in co-operation with British artist, Howard Lee, on a 1.5m x 1.5m canvas, is said to “capture (the) bold new face” of the XE, in addition to making out the differences between the actual car itself and the painting done with acrylic and oil, which Jaguar claims is nearly impossible.

The spiritual successor to the much maligned X-Type as the smallest Jaguar on sale today, the updates includes redesigned front and rear bumpers, a wider, I-Pace style grille, new LED headlights and a colour coded faux rear diffuser.

Inside, the I-Pace touches continue with the new Touch Pro Duo system consisting of a facia mounted 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 5.5-inch setup in place of the previous climate control panel, while the rotary dial gear selector has been dropped for a traditional lever similar to that updated of the Range Rover Evoque.

As well as upgraded materials, the XE can also be had with the all-digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster and the Evoque derived ClearSight rear-view mirror that switches over to a camera from the traditional glass setup.

Also new are the Matrix LED headlights, a wireless smartphone charger, revised Heads-Up Display and the so-called Smart Settings system that makes use of artificial intelligence to learn about driver preference for features such the climate control and electric seats.

In Europe, the XE will be offered in three trim levels; S, SE and HSE with the R-Dynamic styling pack optional on each, and with power coming from a single Ingenium turbocharged petrol and diesel engine, both displacing 2.0-litres.

Carrying the D180 badge, the oil-burning motor offers up 132kW/430Nm, while the petrol can be had in two states of tune; the P250 producing 184kW/365Nm and the P300 that serves-up 221kW/400Nm.

Depending on the market, the XE will have the option of all-wheel-drive, though all models are inherently rear-wheel-driven with the sole transmission being an eight-speed automatic. Standard on all models is the JaguarDrive Control mode selector with four settings; Eco, Comfort, Rain/Ice/Snow and Dynamic.

Already on sale in Europe and Australia, Jaguar South Africa has confirmed that the XE will become available in the second half of this year with pricing set to be announced closer to the local launch date.

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