BUYING GUIDE
The first of the petrol-engined XE models from 2015 to 2017 can now be found for sale from around £10,000, so is now the right time to buy one? Follow our guide to discover what to look for
JAGUAR HAD proven that a mid-sized saloon was popular when they manufactured the X-Type with front and all-wheel drive configurations, but while those models ceased production in 2009, new car buyers had to wait another six years before a similar-sized replacement arrived in the form of the XE. Everything about the XE looked promising from the start, especially the Solihull-constructed aluminium body that meant X-Type owners who’d been bitten by rust wouldn’t be facing the same dread again.
With prices starting at £26,995 for the entry-level two-litre petrol-powered SE model and up to £44,870 for the supercharged 3.0 V6 S, the range of rear-wheel-drive Jaguar XE saloons were hot on the heels of BMW’s 3-Series. The only limitations were that there was no estate model, and all petrol engines were mated to an automatic gearbox.
The early XE petrol models were initially powered by a 197bhp 1999cc four-cylinder turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engine or a supercharged three-litre V6 that produced an impressive 335bhp (upped to 375bhp in 2017). While the Ford EcoBoost engine was fitted to the XE until 2017, there’s confusion as to when Jaguar’s 1997cc Ingenium petrol engine was introduced (the diesel Ingenium was introduced from the start of the XE). If an XE is advertised with the letters GTDi against it, this doesn’t mean it’s a diesel, but it should have a Ford four-cylinder petrol engine powering it. Under the bonnet, the top engine cover on the Ford EcoBoost has some silver stripes running from front to back, and the Jaguar logo is also coloured silver. The later Ingenium petrol engine’s cover is all black with a moulded Jaguar logo and the word Ingenium underneath it, so the two engines should be easy to tell apart by looking at them.
Performance figures for these early XE models quote a 0-60mph time of a little over seven seconds for the two-litre petrol engines and under five seconds for a V6. Fuel economy is supposed to be in the mid-thirties, and at the time of writing, car tax ranges from £290 for the entry-level 2.0 up to £330 for the V6 (based on models manufactured between 2015 and 2017).
Model options
The entry-level XE is called the SE and is equipped with 17” alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, automatic lights and wipers and cruise control. The Prestige is the next step up from the SE, offering leather upholstery and heated front seats, whereas the R-Sport offers even more, with bi-Xenon headlights, a sports-styled interior and exterior (including sports-styled seats), sports suspension and 18” alloy wheels. Top of the list is the Portfolio model, which has an upgraded sound system wi
