May 25, 2017, 00:00 AM by Paul Immediato

There’s a new “Cat” in town. Jaguar has filled its lair with an entry-level luxury sports sedan, the XE, to attract Cat lovers to elegance at Jag’s most affordable pricing. The XE is all-new and is marketed as “a true driver’s car” that “redefines the concept of the sports sedan thanks to its advanced lightweight aluminum-intensive construction, streamlined styling, luxurious interior, and outstanding ride and handling.”

The Jaguar XE was developed with an all-new modular architecture shared with both the XF mid-size sports sedan and the first-ever Jaguar SUV, the F-PACE. The architecture employs a low and sporty driving position, sleek coupe-like profile, short front and rear overhangs and a dynamic cab-rearward stance. The strongly sculpted hood creates a taut, muscular appearance and the rising waistline adds to the sense of movement.

Even with lightweight materials, XE has a curbweight of 3649 lbs. on a wheelbase of 111.6 inches; with a height of 55.7 inches, length of 183.9 inches, width of 77.4 inches and ground clearance of 4.7 inches.

Available in FWD, AWD, diesel-or gas-powered and four trims, I tested the top-of-the-line XE S, and while I optioned up, the standard items were a cornucopia of luxury and high-tech items. My XE S was loaded with features that included Dynamic Volume Control (Road speed and ambient noise levels), a meshed aluminum trim veneer with Ebony grained leather inside, 19-inch 15-spoke 'style 1015' wheels with Gloss Black Diamond Turned Finish, and an “S” Body-Kit with “S” front bumper, black front grille with Satin Chrome surround, Gloss Black extended side sills, “S” Style rear bumper with Gloss Black valence, trunk-lid spoiler and 'S' Badging. The S also came with Red brake calipers, adaptive xenon headlights with LED Signature daytime running lights, headlight power wash, auto high beam assist, “S” embossed grained leather and suedecloth sport seats, 18-way electric front seat adjustment, Adaptive Dynamics with Configurable Dynamics and Lane Keep Assist. To round out the standard S items, you also get a Driver Condition Monitor, Blind Spot Monitor and Reverse Traffic Detection, Front and Rear Parking Aids, SiriusXM® Satellite Radio and Emergency Braking.

Built at an all-new facility, at the Jaguar Land Rover Solihull plant in England, the XE comes with a choice of gas or diesel engines that are either turbocharged or supercharged. A 2.0-liter diesel in-line 4 cylinder engine in two configurations mated to either a manual 6-speed or automatic 5-speed transmission can deliver either 263hp and 380 lbs.-ft. of torque or 180hp and 430 lbs.-ft. A gas-powered turbo with direct injection, in two configurations gets either 200hp and 320 lbs.-ft. or 240hp and 340 lbs.-ft. And the 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 thunders out 340hp and 450 lbs.-ft. with an 8-speed automatic.

The 3.0-liter that powered my 2017 XE in S-trim, was EPA rated at 24.4 mpg in city driving, an eyebrow-raising 46.3 mpg hwy and 34.9 combined. My test driving included some smoked tires and pedal mashing, but 40mpg was never achieved and I averaged 33.8 mpg overall.

On the road or at the track, the supercharger works with little hesitation or jolt and the engine is relatively quiet. Behind the wheel, the XE is Catlike. Acceleration is exhilarating and handling is sportcarlike and trackworthy. Steering is attentive and predictable and the low profile and ground-hugging demeanor sticks in even quick autocross situations. On the track, I was never able to approach tohe manufacturer’s claim of a 4.8-second zero-to-60mph sprint, but I was able to take my non-track-tuned model through a 5.1-second dash and a 13.6-second quarter-mile.

Inside, the spacious cabin (though backseats are a bit cramped) conforms around front seat passengers with a deep center console which creates a cockpit-like feel. The instrument panel dials and the cluster needle sweep on start-up to further emphasize the sports sedan attributes of the XE.

Front and rear seat occupants enjoy comfortable head and legroom, while fine-grain leathers and details such as contrasting twin-needle stitching pay off the Jaguar mystique of elegance. And the all-new Jaguar InControl® infotainment system offered on the XE features the latest technologies to connect the car, driver and the outside world together. At its heart is an eight-inch capacitive touchscreen which features a clear, intuitive interface with fast response times.

The configurations are plentiful as each base vehicle is available in FWD and AWD, gas-powered or diesel-powered and in XE, Premium, Prestige and R-Sport trims. The base gas-powered 2017 Jaguar XE in 20d trim starts at $37,725; 20d in All-Wheel-Drive starts at $39,825; the turbocharged 25t trim starts at $35,725 and 25t in AWD starts at $38,225; the 35t supercharged group runs from $42,525 to $54,775 to start. My test 35t AWD with the 380hp 3.0 liter V6 gas version XE S was $54,775. Loire Blue exterior paint added $565; the Technology Package added $3265 for an enhanced connected navigation system and enhanced 825-watt surround sound system; the Driver Assistance Package added $3495 for Traffic Sign Recognition and Adaptive speed Limiter, Surround camera System, 360-degree Parking Aid, Park assist, Adaptive Cruise control and Blind Spot Assist; and the Comfort & Convenience Package for $2235, added a Power Gesture Tailgate/trunklid, heated and cooled front seats with heated rear seats and an electric rear window sunblind. With delivery and destination charges of $995, my 2017 Jaguar XE S as tested stickered at $65,330.

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Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.