[Koo-Sang Column] ‘Jaguar XE’ charisma thorugh its headlamps

The newly revealed Jaguar XE sedan the first mid-size sedan introduced by Jaguar. The whole length of the vehicle is 4670mm, the full width is 1850mm, the overall height is 1415mm, and the wheel base is 2825mm, which indicate XE is classified as a mid-size sedan.

Jaguar only had large-sized sedan XJ and compact large-sized sedan XF, and others are coupes and convertible models, which made itself limit to expand market volume. However, with the birth of Jaguar XE, at least in sedan, Jaguar completed its lineup.

Jaguar XE, which has low hood and high trunk, will compete against BMW 3 series and Audi A4. Moreover, based on its body size, Sonata and other mid-size sedans are its competitors.

However, Jaguar XE, BMW 3 series, and Audi A4 are all quite smaller to be billed as mid-sized sedan. Actually, based on the Korean car body size, they are in the mid-size sedan line but they look smaller(?) to be called as mid-size car.

In America, Sonata is classified under the compact car. Anyway, it is a fact that Jaguar XE is the first Jaguar compact sedan.

Although XE is not that big, it has long hood with elegant line, which is Jaguar’s signature.

This may because Jaguar make a wild beast as its design motivation, and Jaguar needs to show it well through engine performance and car design. This leads Jaguar cars to having those design that can represent abstractness of high performance.

The most notable characteristic is that all Jaguar cars including coupes and sedans have long portion of their hoods. High performance sporty coupe F Type and E-type are included as they have as long hoods as the half of car’s overall length.

Of course, Jaguar XE also has as long hood as 1/3 of overall length. If hood is designed to be long, it makes the car look more gorgeous, but it makes cabin smaller.

This cannot be a problem in the western, where people thinks rear seats are less important. However, in terms of Korea, the most important thing is to have as large space as possible, and the long hood can somehow mean uncomfortableness.

Based on its image, Jaguar XE emphasizes its hood, and therefore rear doors look smaller.

Overall, the design of Jaguar car can be summarized as dynamism and elegance. From this point of view, Jaguar XE shows its brand identity quite well.

However, even if its size can be classified under mid-sized car, XE does not give as much impact as other models do because of its rear part. The short deck gives sporty image, but it also gives the impression that the rear part of the car seems hard to hold its weight.

Also, the C pillar may have looked better if it has Jaguar’s own design identity. Only seen the C pillar, it looks quite similar with BMW 3’s one and other models have.

However, its unique mesh-typed grille and head lamps well shows Jaguar’s identity.

Tail lamps are designed like F-Type’s semicircle style, but overall rear part gives less charisma than its front. Usually, people examine the rear part more carefully that the front, XE should have had more details on its rear part as a luxury brand car.

It will be the point that how XE is going to show its dynamism and its elegance.

The front face, long hood, and the dynamical line from A pillar to the rear door seem successful. Although C pillar and the rear part look a little bit disappointing, XE shows Jaguar’s identity well as a compact sedan.