Smooth and dreamy drive

Sometimes, it’s easy to take this job for granted. Taking new cars out for a spin on the roads becomes commonplace, and it’s easy to forget how lucky I am sometimes.

Then a car like the Jaguar XE comes along to remind you why I love it; a real privilege to drive thanks to its luxury, style and smoothness.

On the design front, cues have been taken from the F-Type with its curved, sleek bonnet with grooved aerodynamic lines that accentuate the wide, slim headlights and trademark grille. The rear is less aggressive and is perhaps slightly underwhelming compared to its fellow high class offerings.

The interior was obviously designed with the mantra of ‘less clutter, the better’, with a rather unique gear stick consisting of a twist dial at the top of a vast arm rest peppered with small space-saving widgets like an electronic handbrake, keyless ignition and an array of switches to affect driving modes and traction.

The gear stick, in particular, is pretty nifty; you turn it clockwise or anti-clockwise to change gears and it sinks into the centre stack when not in use. But, as a driver who likes to rest his right hand on the gear stick, I felt like something was missing and it made for a distraction.

The red and black trim of the model I drove was very smart, and the breathable seats were a very welcome addition as temperatures were closing on 50 degrees Celsius. Unlike other Jaguar models, leg-room has been addressed in this model, with plenty of room on the back seats even for a tall person to sit behind another, while boot space is slightly above average.

All infotainment features are standard, with navigation, Bluetooth, radio, USB and AUX ports all included in the InControl Touch system, while large menu buttons surround the eight-inch touchscreen that are useful for trawling through the menus when the screen itself proves unresponsive to touch (which, unfortunately, happened all too often for my liking, but this could just be an anomaly).

The speaker systems pump music out with crystal clear quality and with customisable volume levels and mixes, which is an essential to not suffer from acute boredom when stuck in yet another Manama traffic jam.

As for the drive itself, it’s nothing but sublime. The steering is sharp but has some resistance at the same time, while throttle response is quick and punchy. The XE reacts according to your expectations, and slipping it into sport mode and switching to the paddle shift gears is a pure delight and really gives you feel and control over the car.

I also appreciated that the engine is quiet as a mouse when stationary, but when you put your foot down, that famous throaty roar erupts from the exhausts and brings that feeling of exultation.

Overall, the XE is a new heavyweight in this segment, and with a sleek exterior and a trendy, roomy interior complemented by a smooth, dreamy drive, it may well be a top challenger.

The new Jaguar XE is available from the Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover showroom in Sitra. Prices start from BD17,000. Call 17460460 for more information.