Jaguar XE revealed before Paris Motor show unveiling

Jaguar has launched a new promotional campaign for its upcoming entry-level sedan the XE, titled ‘Feel XE’, just ahead of its unveiling at the Paris Motor Show. The pictures reveal the frontal design of the car and although, the styling is much aggressive it bears resemblance to its larger siblings – the XF anf the XJ. 

The images seem to be of the top-spec XE S  model which might be available alongside a couple of more variants. There might be one performance variant XER S and a base XE.

The XE's chassis is made of pressed aluminium sheets and castings joined with rivets and aerospace adhesives. Jaguar has also hinted that this platform might be used for a wide range of vehicles in the future, including the C-X17 SUV (concept vehicle shown at the Auto Expo). 

It will be powered by the new 'Ingenium' range of 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine touted to be the most advanced engines the company has ever made. It is described as "a new family of premium, lightweight, low-friction, low-emission four-cylinder petrol and diesel units.”

The Ingenium engine family is designed to run in a wide range of setups, from the standard fare of single turbo to being capable of running a twin turbo, combined turbos and superchargers as well.

The engine will be capable of powering the XE to travel at over 186mph (299 kmph) with lesser CO2 emissions of 100g/km on certain models. High performance versions of the engine which produce around 400bhp are also planned.

The Jaguar XE will find its place under the XF sedan and will rival the German trio of BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and the Audi A4. The entry-level sedan from Jaguar is likely to be priced from £29,000 (Rs 29.4 lakh) onwards.

The XE might go on sale soon after its unveiling at the Paris Motor Show. In India, expect it to arrive by early 2015. We expect Jaguar’s parent company,Tata, to push the brand further once the XE is launched here. This car will generate volumes and help the company break free from its niche status and make the brand more accessible to the entry-level luxury car buyer.