Better late than never, that's the 2017 Jaguar XE. Debuting from its European origins over a year ago, Jaguar sure did take its time bringing the XE to our shores.
Finally, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Jaguar filled in the details with the XE coming to showrooms for sale in the spring of next year. Starting at $34,900 for the XE 25t, $37,395 for the XE 20d, and $42,695 for the XE 35t, Jaguar's latest car could be quite the steal compared to its competitors in its class like the BMW-3 series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-class.
For the first time in North America, Jaguar's XE will be the first diesel powered vehicle ever from the British carmaker. Claiming another first for its class, Jaguar says the XE is built on a new unique aluminum architecture using a special alloy called RC 5754. Made of 75 percent aluminum, the rest comes from recycled material and 101 pounds of plastics and renewable materials. Combined, the Jaguar XE maintains a relatively light weight of 3,417 pounds.
The top-of-the-line XE 35t will come with all-wheel drive at launch. Using a torque on-demand system, Jaguar says the XE can transition from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive in a quick 165 milliseconds. In normal driving, all the power will be coming from the rear, but for the rest of the lower-end XE models, they'll be stuck in rear-wheel drive.
Inside the cabin, modern creature comforts include a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices to connect to what Jaguar calls its state-of-the-art InControl Touch Pro infotainment system. The system also include a 10.2-inch tablet-style touchscreen that renders intelligent navigation, intuitive operation, and super-fast response times, and support for the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch connects with Jaguar's InControl Remote app that makes it "simpler and more convenient than ever to interact with the vehicle - no matter where you are," Jaguar posts on its website. Using the Apple Watch, Jaguar XE owners can lock and unlock the car, see how much fuel they have left in the tank, and find the car's location on a map. As a plus, the Apple Watch can even set climate control and start the engine before drivers start heading out on the road.
