Jaguar has confirmed that they are working on a facelift for the XE sedan, which they are planning on debuting some time in 2019. Jaguar has gone on record stating that the refreshed XE will not improve on the current cars CO2 emissions, which implies that there won’t be a plug-in hybrid variant added to the line-up.
However, it is worth noting that the new XE is expected to employ a 48V mild-hybrid system, boosting the efficiency of the four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. It is still unclear which engines will be carried over and which will be replaced. The XE is also expected to get minor suspension tweaks to improve ride and handling.
On the design front, the new XE is expected to receive exterior stylistic tweaks in line with the XE SV Project 8 that debuted earlier this year. On the inside, the BMW 3-series rival will have a cabin that is more in line with the Jaguar I-Pace, with a dual screen central console and digital information screen. Over and above these stylistic changes, expect an overall improvement in quality of materials used.
The new XE will also aim to improve on the technology front, an aspect in which the XE is starting to fall behind some key rivals. Alongside infotainment and connectivity upgrades, the introduction of some semi-autonomous driving features is also likely.
Jaguar has not mentioned anything regarding the XE facelift coming to India. However, as Audi is getting a refreshed A4 and BMW will be getting the all-new 3-series in 2019, it is likely that Jaguar will bring the XE facelift to India in the future.
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
Lenny D'sa
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
