2015 Jaguar XE sedan detailed

The XE sedan promises to become Jaguar's top seller ... until they do an SUV.

The British are coming and the Germans are in the gunsights. Indian-owned British brand Jaguar will march on the compact prestige segment with the XE sedan.

There will be spirited skirmishing from the aluminium XE, which is set for an official global unveiling on September 8 and expected by the local Jaguar branch in the third quarter of 2015.

Rear-wheel-drive dynamics and shared bits with the F-Type sports car are among the credentials for the small sedan, which would become the brand's volume seller.

Jaguar claimed it would double global volumes when it borrowed heavily from then-parent Ford's Mondeo to put the X-Type range on the road 13 years ago but the pint-sized XJ didn't set the sales tally ablaze.

Brand manager Mark Eedle says Jaguar has come a long way since the days of X-Type, which disappeared from the Jag price list four years ago.

Jaguar's spin has the XE as 'a true driver's car; one that redefines the concept of the sports saloon" - a segment Jaguar says it created over 50 years ago with iconic models such as the Mark II.

'We changed ownership and have a whole new design language, we invested heavily in engineering and development, it's a different world," Eedle says The brand 'doesn't talk volumes" but Eedle is clear the XE is a potential sales bonanza. Against C-Class and 3 Series, 'we know there's a volume opportunity and it opens up a huge market for us," he says.

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'Different parent, different design, different engineering, new aluminium architecture ... when you are going into a segment where you want to deliver the best that chassis is a big attribute." Jaguar is basing its strategy on market analysis suggesting the affordability and value in cars below $100,000 is better in Australia than it is in Europe, An "halo" performance model from the newly formed Special Vehicle Operations is on the cards, given the parts being shared with the F-Type. There will be new petrol and diesel turbo engines.

The aluminium architecture was first displayed in the mid-size SUV C-X17 concept. Jaguar Land Rover Australia managing director Michael Winkler can't confirm an SUV but wants to make the most of the flexible platform.