Views
5 years ago

THE JAGUAR #05

  • Text
  • Jaguar
  • Racing
  • Formula
  • Waymo
  • Thrill
  • Motorsport
  • Engineers
  • Engineering
Discover a different side to Eva Green | Will your next taxi be a self-driven Jaguar I-PACE? | What it takes to break a lap record at the  Nürburgring Nordschleife | The petrolheads racing in Jaguar’s new all-electric race series | Up close with the latest special edition of the XE and XF: the 300 SPORT

ROAD TEST Getting back

ROAD TEST Getting back into the XE 300 SPORT with eyes suitably widened by caffeine, I take in my immediate surroundings once more. The yellow stitching that adorns the leather really is quite a clever touch. It’s not overbearing or garish, but the contrasting combination has connotations that instantly quicken the pulse. Think of where it appears in nature: on wasps or poison frogs or some snakes – it makes you sit up and take notice. In here, it’s a little reminder that you’ve got 300PS and 400Nm of torque at your disposal. Talking of which, the Ingenium engine is an interesting powerplant, and a key factor in why the XE handles the roads so well. Being a four-cylinder turbocharged all-aluminium engine means it is light and this helps the nose of the car feel responsive. The power delivery is pleasingly progressive too, keen to rev and gaining in enthusiasm as it rises towards its red line. Of course all that power and torque wouldn’t be any use if the car couldn’t transmit it to the road, but the XE 300 SPORT has another trick up its sleeve – all-wheel drive. Even under fairly abrupt throttle applications on less than pristine surfaces, the XE doesn’t waste any of its power. The way the systems deploy the power means the XE still feels slightly rear-biased in its demeanour, and that sense of driving out of a corner – pushing from the rear rather than pulling from the front – is crucial to a properly dynamic-feeling AWD system. As we head towards Catania, the island’s most imposing feature increasingly dominates the skyline. At 3,329m high, Mount Etna is Europe’s highest active volcano. I’m in the right colour car for it too, as my XE is painted Caldera Red; a caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature, formed when part of the volcano collapses. Etna’s is the Piano Caldera, formed 2000 years ago, near the base of its summit cone. “THE POWER DELIVERY IS 26 THE JAGUAR

PLEASING, KEEN TO REV AND GAINING IN ENTHUSIASM AS IT RISES”

 

JAGUAR MAGAZINE

 

Jaguar Magazine celebrates creativity in all its forms, with exclusive features that inspire sensory excitement, from beautiful design to cutting-edge technology.

In this issue, we explore the art of creativity from the Brazilian masters who devised the graceful art of Capoeira, to the Irish artists mixing new culture with old. You will also discover the creative line that links Victorian wallpaper to the iPhone. While the multi-talented actor and performer, Riz Ahmed, explains why it is the right time to reveal his true self to the world.

© JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED 2020

Registered Office: Abbey Road, Whitley, Coventry CV3 4LF
Registered in England No: 1672070


The fuel consumption figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer's tests in accordance with EU legislation.
A vehicle's actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only.