KUALA LUMPUR: Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia (JLRM) has unveiled the Jaguar XE sports sedan to complete the British marque's sedan range of cars that include the XF and XJ models.

Three variants of the XE are being made available starting with the entry-level Prestige; the mid-range R-Sport and the range-topping S model, which are priced on-the-road with GST without insurance at RM340,000, RM365,000 and RM580,000 respectively.

The model aims to take on the likes of the Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.

The XE uses an aluminium-intensive monocoque that gets hidden by exterior colour choices of Polaris White (solid), Glacier White, Rhodium Silver, Quartzite, Ammonite Grey, Bluefire, Odyssey Red, Italian Racing Red and Ultimate Black.

Warranty for every XE comes with a five-year or 150,000km warranty, including a three-year roadside assist with owners of the 2.0-litre Prestige and R-Sport enjoying a five-year or 80,000km free scheduled maintenance or the 3.0-litre S variant’s five-year or 65,000km package, whichever comes first.

Service intervals for the Prestige and R-Sport are one year or 16,000km (S model – one year or 13,000km) whichever comes first.

In celebrating the arrival of the XE, new owners will receive an exclusive XE Launch accessories package (limited numbers) worth RM10,000 and includes illuminated sill tread plates, red aluminium paddle shifters, premium dark leather top and rubber bezel with soft-touch grip for gear selector, and four iconic tyre valve cap designs.

The rear-wheel drive XE has a drag coefficient of 0.26Cd and possesses a respectable 455 litres of bootspace along with a wheelbase of 2,835mm while measuring 4,672mm-long, 2,075mm-wide and 1,416mm-tall.

All models utilise a double wishbone front and Integral Link rear axle suspension set up, next generation Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), All Surface Progress Control (ASPC), JaguarDrive Control (Normal, Eco, Dynamic or Winter modes) as well as an eight-speed electronic automatic transmission with Jaguar sequential shift for all three models.

The Prestige has a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with 200PS at 5,500rpm and 280Nm of torque from 1,750 to 4,000rpm - allowing it to reach 100kph from standstill in 7.7 seconds before reaching a top speed of 237kph, while rolling on standard 17-inch wheels that can be upgraded to a choice of two 18-inch wheel designs.

It also comes equipped with bi-function high intensity discharge Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and automatic levelling, along with concealed tailpipes, brushed aluminium veneers, 10x10-way electric power seat with driver memory and Morzine headliner.

The Prestige receives dual-zone climate controls with rear vents, electric parking brake, brake pad wear indicator, cruise control with automatic speed limiter and keyless entry with push-start button.

Furthermore, an 80W six-speaker Jaguar sound system with four amplifier channels gets paired to an eight-inch capacitive touchscreen with reverse camera, AUX / USB ports, radio, iPod integration, Bluetooth connectivity, dynamic volume control and SD card navigation.

For safety, there are six airbags, dynamic stability control with traction control, hill start assist, torque vectoring by braking and ISOFIX anchor points.

The R-Sport, with the same engine, plays to a higher tune of 240PS and 360Nm, shaving its sprint time down to 6.8 seconds and extends its top speed to an electronically limited 250kph.

It gets 18-inch wheels with an optional 19-inch wheels, and swaps out the brushed for etched aluminium before exposing the twin tailpipes.

The range-topping S model uses a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 (also in the F-Type), which produces 340PS at 6,500rpm and 450Nm of torque at 4,500rpm, further slashing its sprint time down to 5.1 before reaching the same top speed of 250kph.

For the range-topping S model, it comes rolling in on 18-inch wheels with the option of upgrading to 19-inch designs that partially hides its red brake callipers and adds on start/stop functionality, adaptive dynamics for configurable dampers, meshed aluminium veneer and twin tailpipe finishings.

A 380W 11-speaker sound system by Meridian, which includes a 12 channel class D DSP amplifier, Audyssey MultiEQ Audio Equalisation and dynamic volume control has also been fitted.

“Its lightweight construction, streamlined styling, luxurious interior and outstanding ride and handling make it a true driver’s car. In the XE, Jaguar has come up with a winner that is definitely a serious contender in the mid-size luxury sedan segment,” said JLRM managing director Syed Mudzhar Syed Ali.

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