Jaguar XE Diesel launched in India at Rs 38.25 lakh

Jaguar has launched the diesel variant of the XE in India at ₹ 38.25 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The British carmaker introduced its entry-level sedan in India at the Auto Expo 2016, only in the petrol guise. Bookings for the diesel XE commenced earlier this month.

Under the hood of the new 2017 XE diesel is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged oil burner producing a healthy 177bhp of power at 4,000rpm and 430Nm of max torque between 1,750 - 2,500rpm. The power is channelled to rear wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, accelerating the sedan from 0-100kmph in 7.8seconds and a top speed of 228kmph.

The XE diesel, similar to its petrol counterpart, is available in three trims, Pure, Prestige and Portfolio. Prices for the Prestige and Portfolio trim haven't been released yet. It remains visually similar to the petrol variant and the features are evenly matched as well. On the inside, there is an eight-inch touch screen with smartphone connectivity, navigation, Bluetooth, USB, AUX and a 380W Meridian sound system. The upholstery can be had in Taurus leather and comes with options of driver seat memory, 10-way electric front seats, four-way lumbar support and light oyster headlining. Other features include sliding panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, mist sensing, auto-dimming rear view mirror, steering mounted controls, and 12v power sockets.

On the safety front, the XE diesel gets a standard line-up of pedestrian contact sensing, emergency brake assist, whiplash protection, ISOFIX and hazard lights under heavy braking. List of airbags includes a front side, full-length side window curtain, driver and front passenger, with seat occupant detector for the passenger.

Given that almost all the sedans on the segment are available with diesel versions, it was high time that British marque introduced the oil burner in India. The XE diesel goes up against the German trio of Mercedes-Benz C220d, the BMW 320d and the Audi A4 35TDI. We have compared the four cars already in a Luxe Battle and you can read about it over here.