Jaguar XE 2022 review

How does the XE P300 AWD SE drive?

The other great feature of the XE P300 is its engine, at least on paper. Compared to rivals like the BMW 330i ($79,900), Mercedes-Benz C300 ($75,300) and Audi A4 45TFSI ($70,800), the Jaguar’s 221kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder has at least 10 percent more power.

It sounds good, too, though the Jaguar’s four-cylinder induction bark is more Renaultsport Megane than prestigious Jaguar. Yet the grunt doesn’t translate to outright pace, the XE P300 only gets to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds which is decent, but a tenth behind the BMW 330i (5.8 seconds).

The AWD XE tipped our scales at 1594kg, 124kg more than the claimed kerb weight of a BMW 330i which goes some way to explaining its slower sprint time.

The turbo petrol ‘four is coupled with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, which is mostly slick but has a tendency to get caught between gears and stumble around town. Add to that a throttle pedal which seems to run-on after lifting off and the XE’s drivetrain is ultimately not as slinky as the black big cat on the grille promises.

Do I wish Jaguar had kept the option of the 280kW/450Nm supercharged V6? Absolutely. For all the grunt of the P300 powertrain, it can only sound so good, and a growling V6 or fire breathing V8 (as in the 2019 limited production left-hook Project 8 which was sold in Australia briefly but couldn’t be road-registered) would be ace.

The XE’s awkwardness continues over bumps where the 19-inch alloys and passive dampers get hung up on sharp edges, occasionally crashing through so as to make cabin plastics creak. Our previous experience in XEs with 18 or 19-inch alloys show this sedan can be slinky and supple on the right wheel and tyre package, or with adaptive dampers ($1850).

Like a chubby and (mostly) content house cat, the XE manages to surprise you in the way it steps up to a challenge when one is presented. With the tiller slicing through open countryside the Jaguar performs more favourably, that awkward urban transmission tune is forgotten as the ’box chooses the right gear for the situation, and the 400Nm of torque sees speeds rise briskly on the open road.

As much enjoyment as I got guiding the Jaguar through a set of bends though, it never felt light on its feet the way a 3 Series does, so instead it’s best to dial it back a notch and enjoy the XE’s fluid responses rather than going full-bore.

When it comes to assistance systems, the XE’s list of features includes adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring, AEB with pedestrian detection and lane-keep assist and has a five-star ANCAP rating from 2015.