Jaguar XE S 2017 first drive

The 2017 car’s added 40bhp only trims a tenth from its 0-62mph time, bringing it down to 5.0sec dead, but the biggest benefit comes with the way the engine revs to its red line. The added oomph is all stored at the top, so you’re encouraged to hang onto the revs a little longer where the drivetrain also, pleasingly, makes the most exciting noises.

Switch the eight-speed automatic into its Dynamic mode and you can keep the engine spinning in this aurally pleasing range using the paddle shifters, where it barks and crackles with excitement and bites into its rev limiter. It’s still not quite as racy as the Jaguar F-Type, but I’d argue that this is the best sounding drivetrain in this category, as it feels significantly less synthesised than rivals.

Like before, if you want to rein things in, the V6 will do just as good of a job at purring along as an effortless cruiser, with bags of torque available and a gearbox that’s quick to select the right cog. Jaguar claims that 34.9mpg combined is possible which is well short of diesel alternatives that can provide the same straight-line performance, but none of those can offer the breadth of personality this petrol unit can. Really, you have an engine with two personalities, something that rings true for the whole car actually.

Jaguar’s configurable dynamics can now be specced on the XE S as a standalone feature, and it’s one well worth adding because it gives the chassis a heightened degree of flexibility. Switch things back to the softest mode and the car will competently soak up road imperfections and iron out speed bumps, but click across to the sports setting and the damping injects an agility and responsiveness into the chassis that makes the car feel significantly lighter on its toes than 1665kg suggests.