Light speed

THE Jaguar XE may look like an ordinary compact sedan but it is as revolutionary as its predecessor was mundane. In the early 2000s, Jaguar produced the X-Type, which was basically a modified Mondeo (Ford owned Jaguar then). Fast forward nearly a decade and a half and the baby Jag is a very important new model, one in which the British manufacturer has invested £2 billion (S$4.4 billion).

The XE gets a brand new car architecture on which future Jaguar models will be based on, with an aluminium-intensive monocoque structure and a sophisticated suspension system. The aim is to achieve the best compromise between handling and comfort and this compact car appears to have succeeded very well.

The XE has a lightweight but rigid body that is 75 per cent aluminium. It is joined by high-strength steel further back to achieve a perfect 50:50 front/rear weight distribution. Together, they add up to 1,530 kg in kerb weight for the XE 2.0.