The Jaguar XE P300 R-Dynamic is Coming for Bimmer & Benz
It may be a mouthful, but the Jaguar XE P300 R-Dynamic is a powerful entry to the luxury sedan market.
The 2020 Jaguar XE P300 R-Dynamic is the automaker’s newest offering in a sleek and sporty sedan. Refreshed and updated with F-Type cues, it is a luxurious and stunning entry-level sedan. It clearly has its competitors in its crosshairs, especially the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Gone is the V6, replaced by a turbocharged 4-cylinder. Is this new engine powerful enough for the segment?
The crew over at The Straight Pipes put the Jaguar XE P300 R-Dynamic SE to the test in their latest video. Hosts Jakub and Yuri take the Jaguar out and a-boot in Canada.
The AWD turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It is a decidedly less thrilling engine than the previous V6, but more on that later.
As far as the style, the guys both agree it is solid. The front end really benefits from the F-Type aesthetic; grille looks great, and the headlights definitely are improved by the slimline LED daytime running lights (DRL).
“It just looks beefy and muscle-y to me” says Yuri. And it certainly does in this black-on-black package. Especially with the Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires.
“It looks pretty menacing in the black-on-black,” says Jakub. And Yuri agrees. ” it’s sleek–not crisp–sleek.”
From the front, to the side, to the back; the guys like it all. In fact, they prefer the F-Type style on the XE sedan, making the argument that Jaguar could have gone further, and sportier on the F-Type.
As for the interior, both are a little underwhelmed. The main issue is that they don’t love the Land Rover’s influence on interior buttons. And overall, they feel the infotainment could be a bit more responsive.
Actually, the guys have a few issues with the on-board tech, and don’t get them started on the confusion between the steering wheel adjustment button and faux ignition key. Buttons aside, they find the interior to be top-notch, luxe, and very Jaguar.
But the meat and potatoes is performance. And it delivers.
“This handles way better than I expected,” says Jakub. “It’s really good. And it feels RWD for an AWD car.”
“Honestly, this probably handles way better than the BMW or Mercedes [base models],” Yuri agrees.
Above all else, it is just fun to drive. It corners nicely and provides excellent agility. Both think the handling definitely makes up for the lack of a V6.
“When I got into this at first, I actually thought it was a V6,” Jakub says.
Bottom line, there are a few issues The Straight Pipes crew had with the Jaguar XE P300 R Dynamic SE, but it still drives like a Jaguar. Lithe, sporty, hale, and fun to drive, the XE should definitely make BMW, Audi, and Mercedes a little nervous.
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