Image: Jaguar XE revealed

Months of buildup ended last night with the big reveal event for the Jaguar XE. The star studded event held at Earls Court, London, unveiled the car ahead of full details to be announced at the Paris motorshow.

The new Jaguar XE will come with rear wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive as an option. It will be the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever made, and will come with a range-topping Supercharged 3.0 litre V6 engine, giving the car a 0-60 speed of just 4.9 seconds. The XE will have an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

The Build

The Jaguar is built from a large amount of aluminium, making use of Jaguar’s expertise with the material. The majority of the aluminium is the 6000-series alloy, and it will be the first model to use Jaguar’s modular architecture. The biggest example of this is the bodyside, which is formed of one piece of 1.1mm material.

Design wise, the large front air intakes, chrome side vents, and 20-inch alloy wheels are designed to give an idea of the car’s speed. The new XE will also be the first Jaguar to have electric power steering.

The XE will also come with intelligent technologies to make the driving experience better. All Surface Progress Control works as a low speed cruise control, adjusting the brake system and powertrain depending on the road conditions.

A laser head-up display provides real time information without distracting the driver from the road. The car also comes with stereo camera technology, which works as the eyes for the auto braking system, traffic sign recognition and lane departure warning. Blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and semi-automated parallel and bay parking are also fitted.

In car entertainment

The new XE is designed to be compatible with smartphones and can even act as a Wi-Fi hotspot, with the vehicle antenna giving a high quality signal for multiple devices.

Touchscreen and voice controls the onboard computer, with navigation systems, radio and bluetooth devices compatible. A downloadable app allows the driver to adjust the climate control, lock or unlock the car, and even start or stop the engine.

The Big Reveal

This new Jaguar XE will be manufactured at a specially built facility at Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull plant, creating 1700 new jobs.

The launch event comes ahead of the Paris Motor Show, where full details of the range will be released. Prices will start from £27,000 and the car will be on sale sometime in 2015.

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