I attended the XE Audition in Dallas this afternoon at the Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum. They had all Jag models available in the first bay after registration, including the F-Pace. I focused on XE and F-Pace. I also skipped the movie part to get to the drive. After the drive they had a reception area with some light food and also had another XE and F-Pace, there.

For reference, I currently drive a 2012 BMW 335i/6MT Sport model with adaptive suspension. Other options are Nav, HUD and Surround View cameras.

My impressions:

• The XE has a noticeably higher belt line and less glass area, so feels less open and harder to see out of, but ultimately I did not find this to be a big problem during my drive.
• One thing I noticed when getting out of the car is that the sill of the XE is much wider (3”+) than my 3-series – see pics.
• The very low side vents look a little odd, but I did not really notice any adverse effect during the drive and it was a relatively warm day so we used the AC.
• I did note there are defrost vents in the A pillar - I had been wondering about that and never noticed in previous pics posted online.
• The display between the cluster dials looked a little low-rent, low resolution with jaggie graphics in some cases, but only really noticeable if you focused on it. Supposedly the 2016 Evoque is getting a new higher-res Cluster Info screen so can only hope this also makes it to the US MY17 XE’s.
• These were all S-models, with the 3.0 supercharged V6 and adaptive suspension. Our fellow forum members who got weekend drives have noted these are Mexican models. The seats are leather with suede/Alcantara inserts. It’s a shame these are not an option for US models.
• The drive is a fixed route (5.5mi total according to Google – see map image), out and back to the autocross course and you are accompanied by a Jaguar rep. My handler said he also instructs at the Jag performance schools.
• I started out the drive in Normal mode. The ride is comfortable and seemed quite soft, similar to the 335i in Comfort but always well controlled and solid.
• Switching to Dynamic firmed things up nicely and, while you could feel the bad pavement and cobbles the XE seemed less jittery than the 335i in Sport setting. The steering was quite light, even in Dynamic mode – I think the 335i steering is heavier/meatier in Sport. But, I have always felt the 335i feels nose heavy and wallows a bit at the front and I did not feel any hint of that in the XE. (The few 328i loaners I have had actually felt better to me in this aspect, even thought they had the base suspension.)
• At the autocross course, I drove one circuit in Normal and the second in Dynamic mode with sport setting on the transmission. Each had a different character, as expected but bot felt very comfortable to be driving near the limit on the turns – OK, maybe 75-80%.

After the drive back, I had another sit in the F-Pace while chatting to one of the reps. She said cars should be at the dealers by end of May, with the F-Pace to follow within 1-2 months. She claimed dealers were doing well on pre-orders and was very pumped about the F-Pace.

After leaving, I drove the street route in my 335i, approximating the suspension setting I used in the XE. My final impression is that the XE is quite nice, feels softer/more comfortable than I expected, even in Dynamic, but also less jittery than the 335i in when in sport/dynamic mode on less than perfect pavement.

The V6 is nice and did not feel nose heavy, but it’s also an old, thirsty motor and my preference would be to get the 4-cyl petrol engine, with preference again to the Ingenium vs. Ford version. I would want drive it and compare to the 328i and/or MY17 330i that comes to the US this fall. I would like to have CarPlay/Android Auto option with the base InControl system. Since that’s not an option, I would probably have the get the Pro system to maintain my sanity. Another negative on the XE is the touchscreen – I really am a believer in non-touch systems in cars.

The other wildcard in there is the Alfa Giulia. Assuming they can keep to the most recent schedule and there is nothing seriously amiss with the structure, etc., I would also seriously consider the base model with the 276hp I4. The unknowns are how decent the base model will look and how it will handle. I want something that can be sporty, but I’m not interested in a full-time hard-core sports car like the 4C.

The F-Pace is also on my radar to replace my wife's Q5 in a couple of years. Again, I would prefer the petrol I4 to diesel or V6, so I hope that becomes an option in a couple of years as they ramp Ingenium production and get the extra plant capacity online. The current Q5 weighs about the same as the F-Pace and feels decently powered with the 220hp TFSI engine. We've had a SQ5 with supercharged V6 as loaner and my wife did not think if was a huge difference in her normal driving.

 

I was at the Dallas event too. It was a fun time.

Like you, I am waiting on the Alfa to be available for comparison. The XE would make a great commuter for me, but Alfas have always been a blast to own and drive. We'll see if they can keep the current delivery schedule.