Jaguar XE 2015 News

Czech brand Skoda and British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have revealed which models will be recalled as part of the wide-spread mandatory Takata airbag call back.

A number of potentially hazardous faults have been identified in vehicles sold in Australia, prompting a wide range of recalls.

Even below six figures, there are styling and performance high-flyers.

The Jaguar XE Prestige 20t was one of the 11 finalists chosen to compete for the 2015 CarsGuide Car of the Year crown.

My pick for COTY king this year is the Mercedes-Benz GLC.But it's not the COTY car or contest you might be thinking, since this is all about Bluetooth.We have 11 of the best cars of 2015 assembled for this year's COTY shootout and that makes it an ideal time and place to take a closer look at Bluetooth.The phone link has become a very big deal this year, with more and more driver distractions contributing to crashes and, in NSW, prompting the extension of double-demerit penalties.Now car testing also covers the vital Bluetooth connectivityEven the car companies are split, internally and externally, as some engineers push for more and more connectivity and others say the connected car is disconnecting people from driving and safety.Car testing has always been about comfort and safety and performance and economy — with value at the very top — but now it also covers app-friendly infotainment and the vital Bluetooth connectivity.Hyundai makes some excellent cars but its Bluetooth is patchy, at best, even on the latest Tucson. If you were choosing a phone-friendly car then a Hyundai would slip well down the list.So at COTY, with help from techno king Craig Duff, I go searching for my Bluetooth champion.The Mazda CX-3 is all right but booms in the cabin, the BMW X1 and the Commodore are workmanlike, the Jaguar XE is not great.I'm expecting a lot from the Sync system in the Ford Ranger and it's good, but difficult to connect. And so it goes. Until I jump into the Benz.The phone pairs instantly, delivers excellent clarity at both ends — I've been calling the same person to check — and the call display is good and clear. For me, it wins.

Kia's family seven-seater stands out, setting a precedent in a singular field.

There are few bad cars on the road these days, which made it tougher than ever to pick a field for CarsGuide's 2015 Car of the Year award.The process started in December last year. A week after we awarded the Mercedes-Benz C-Class our gong, we were on the launch of the new Subaru Outback.It was the first of more than 300 new cars we pored over before arriving at 11 finalists. In between there were head-to-head battles and three-way shootouts between the most impressive of the newcomers and the existing benchmarks.Comparison tests are vital because it's easy to come away from a new car launch impressed by Brand X's latest and greatest. But it takes back-to-back testing — on the same stretch of bitumen, same potholes, same freeway — to sort the winners from the also-rans.This year's COTY judging threw up a few surprises. The first was the CX-3. It felt good to drive on the launch and when we tested it against the best in its class, it also came out on top. Up against our other finalists, it felt underdone and overpriced. The conclusion? The mini-SUV may be the new "must-have" automotive accessory but none of the new breed — there have been six all-new arrivals this year — is as practical or fun to drive as a humble hatchback.Next was the BMW X1, which fellow judge Joshua Dowling called "the most un-BMW BMW I've driven". An SUV from a German luxury brand for a tad over $60,000 sounds like a good deal, especially when a Toyota Kluger can cost similar money.While much improved over its predecessors in some areas, the X1 was underdone in others. The seats, usually a BMW highlight, were flat and unsupportive, while the front suspension crashed rudely over bumps.To a much lesser extent the same criticism could be levelled at our runner-up, the Mercedes-Benz GLC. It is still an impressive vehicle but not as well sorted as the C-Class. In their quest for new buyers, are the luxury brands losing their luxuriousness?The surprises weren't all bad, though. The fact that the Ford Ranger made our final five is testimony to the huge advances made in one-tonne utes in recent years. The Ranger didn't feel a million miles off the rest of the field on our road loop.A decade ago, jumping out of a Volvo into a Ford ute would have been like trading the Merc for a Massey Ferguson. Not now.Which brings us to the last — and most pleasant — COTY surprise: the winner, Kia's Sorento. Ever since the Koreans pinched Audi's head designer, Kia cabins have looked a cut above their competitors. Local suspension tuning has made them ride better, while their diesel engines are on par with some of the best for refinement. Add an industry leading seven-year warranty and there's plenty to like.If you're put off by the badge on the nose, it's your loss. 

This year's line-up is a dream team of pace machines, heavy-hitters and all-rounders.

The days of bargain-basement XF Jaguars are over.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol will land in Australian showrooms on September 1 in Prestige trim level. Jaguar Australia opted not to take the base Pure specification.Buyers will get an eight-speed automatic to handle the 147kW/280Nm from the Ford-built engine, reversing camera, automated parking, blind spot and lane departure warning with autonomous emergency braking, a eight-inch infotainment screen with satnav, high-intensity xenon headlamps, leather upholstery, electric seats and 11-speaker audio, though digital audio is an option.The same engine in a higher "25t" tune develops 177kW/340Nm. The sticker: $64,900.The single diesel model is a 2.0-litre turbo priced from $62,800. The Jaguar-developed engine is good for 132kW/430Nm and class-leading fuel economy of 4.2L/100km.Prices undercut the rival BMW 3 Series and Benz C-Class but are about $3000 dearer than Audi's ageing but still more than competent A4.The three XE variants also come in R-Sport trim that adds $4000 and includes distinctive 18-inch alloy wheels, sports seats with grippy mesh inserts, sportier suspension tune and body kit.A Portfolio edition, exclusive to the 25t at $70,400, adds luxury touches such as premium perforated leather, instrument panel topped with faux-leather and electric rear window blind.At the peak of the range is the $104,200 XE S, sharing the 250kW/450Nm supercharged V6 from the F-Type coupe. It rolls on 19-inch alloys and includes sports leather seats with suede inserts, adaptive dampers, unique body kit and blacked-out window surrounds and rear valance.That pitches it directly at the Audi S4 sedan; neither BMW or Benz has a comparable model. Then again, Jaguar doesn't have a rival — for now — for the M3 or C63 AMG S.Notable options include the Highway Technology Pack, which for $3420 bundles adaptive cruise control with a head-up display and a "solar attenuating" windscreen. The adaptive dampers from the XE S can be ordered as an $1850 option on the rest of the range.Jaguar Land Rover Australia managing director Matt Weisner admits it was an arm-wrestle with head office to secure the price and specification needed to give Jaguar impetus in the segment."This is the most hotly contested field in the premium market, we're the new kids on the block and we needed to make sure we could make a statement from a value point of view as well as with the product itself," Weisner says."The XE is important to give us volume. The XE, like all Jaguars, at its core is and must be a drivers' car."The September rollout is the start of a frantic 10 months for Jag. The facelifted XJ is due in November, followed by the XF about February and the F-Pace arriving mid-2016.