Jaguar India will be launching the XE sedan in India on the February 3. This is JLR’s most affordable offering yet and is the first car in the segment to use a lightweight aluminium-intensive monocoque chassis. The XE will compete against the Mercedes-Benz C-Class BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. Bookings for the new sedan have already commenced.
The XE will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct injection petrol engine in two states of tune. The lower output model develops 197bhp of power and 280Nm of torque. If you are seeking a bit more performance from the XE then the pick would be the 237bhp/340Nm unit. The XE comes with a choice of two gearboxes as well – a six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic. We expect India to only get the automatic as manuals find few takers here. The sedan is equipped with torque vectoring by braking and all surface progress control (ASPC). It gets leather seats, panoramic sunroof, interior mood lighting, navigation system, 380 watts Meridian sound system and a surround camera system.
Jaguar also has a new range of ingenium diesel engines that will find their way into all JLR products. The four cylinder units are 2000cc engines that can’t be sold in the capital due to the ban on diesel cars with engine capacities of 2.0-litre and above. Jaguar is playing the waiting game to see how the ban pans out. We expect the diesel to be introduced in other regions in a few months though.
The sedan is expected to be priced between Rs. 35-40 lakh (ex-showroom).