The Jaguar X-Type was Jaguar’s entry-level offering for nearly a decade, from 2001-2009. While it was Jaguar’s top seller during that time, the car never quite found its footing. Six years later, Jaguar is due to introduce the 2016 Jaguar XE, which rounds out the company’s roster with a new entry-level sedan. On the evidence, the Jaguar XE will have no problem winning drivers’ hearts and minds. 

The early indications for the 2016 Jaguar XE are that Jaguar has learned well the hard lessons of the X Type years. Where the X Type was a competent performer — it was a Jaguar, after all — it had a reputation for being the odd man out in the Jaguar lineup. It was a brisk seller during its lifetime, but the automotive press never knew quite what to make of it. Some reviewers wondered openly whether the X Type was evidence that Jaguar was losing its touch.

Things (time, priorities, and design among them) change. And one of the biggest changes has been the reception of the Jaguar XE. Rather than indifference or confusion, the Jaguar XE has been greeted with excitement. Reviewers are enthusiastic about its graceful design, its promised performance, and an appearance that suggests that Jaguar is willing to move beyond the tried and true. What does Jaguar get for its troubles? Motortrend characterizes the XE as “promising,” Car and Driver hailed the XE as one of its 25 Cars Worth Waiting For from 2015–2018, while Jalopnik enthuses that The 2016 Jaguar XE Is ‘Pretty Stonkingly Brilliant’.

We agree on all counts. The Jaguar XE is brilliant, and everything we’ve seen so far indicates that the car will be well worth the wait. While we’ll have to wait ’til next month when the XE S debuts at the Paris Auto Show for full specifications, early indications are that the car will have the same supercharged 3.0 liter V6 that takes the Jaguar F-Type S from 0-60 in just under 5 seconds. It also features an eight-speed automatic ZF transmission, and the option of a 2.0L Ingenium gas or diesel engine at other trim levels. In another first for Jaguar, the XE will feature all-aluminum construction that shaves the curb weight down considerably.

Want to whet your appetite for a new Jaguar? Come to Jaguar of Peabody today.