Jaguar’s Art of Performance Tour Arrives in Chicago
This past weekend, Jaguar’s “Art of Performance” tour made a stop in Chicago to showcase exactly what the brand is all about. Given this event’s convenience and that I was kindly invited by Jaguar to attend, I cancelled a few other plans (without regret) and drove on down into the city to the Vertiport helicopter landing facility.
What I found was an awesome display of Jaguar’s current offerings, with the ability to drive some on the street, and then push the limits on a skidpad that was mapped out on the vast helicopter landing surface. I picked the option of driving on the street first, with a host of the event, and longtime family friend, Roberto Guerrero.
The XE squares itself directly at the C-class and 3 Series market, which is a brave move, but I feel the XE can find a foothold. Quality is as high as you’d expect it to be, with a totally uncluttered and easy to use interior, and a comfortable ride. The vehicle I drove had the supercharged V6, which was tractable around the narrow streets of Chicago, but could turn into a bellowing monster once you really started to get into it. Underpasses quickly became a new favorite pastime. Out on the skid pad, the XE handled very nicely. Understeer is expected, but not extreme, and it is noticeably balanced considering how comfortable it was out in the real world.
Altogether, it was a short but fun experience, and worthwhile indeed if the tour comes to an area near you. Find out if it does here.
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