MOVES LIKE JAGGER

The 2020 Jaguar XE has the sassy looks of a siren and the power of the famous cat she's named after

- Bobby John Varke

YOU KNOW the kind of look-at-me car; the type that turns heads on the road and leaves many gawking! Add impressive specs to it and what you get is the 2020 Jaguar XE. It's a fantastically handsome sports sedan, just the right one to take you on the winding (and for the most part, dug up and slushy) roads to Manali to our destination — Larisa. It's a boutique resort set amidst an apple orchard in Haripur village, about 15km from all the tourist traps of the winter destination. That’s almost 1,200km from Delhi, both ways.

But, oh, the car! The XE’s slurp-worthy stance, accentuated by a facelift, is cut out for taking on the might of the Mercs and BMWs in the segment. It looks wider than its 2015 avatar, thanks to the redesigned grille and bumper — flared out a bit. Overall, it gives this entry level Jag a sense of exaggerated width. The all-LED lights, slimmer front and tail, and animated indicators make it look mean. It is a long sedan, but its curves and edges do a good job of hiding the overall bulk of the car.

Inside, the XE is dripping with tech. The completely refreshed cabin — with a wide touchscreen in the middle, two dials in the lower console for climate control, a toggle switch for different drive modes, slick virtual instrument cluster, a sporty stick-like shifter and a tweaked steering wheel—all add oodles of character to the interior.

From the driver’s seat, everything looks conquerable. The seat is comfortable in posh leather upholstery and fancy stitching. You can set the driving position nice and low.