There are few brand names as powerful and evocative as that of Jaguar. It doesn’t matter what age you are, the mere mention of the name conjures up images redolent of luxury and style. Whether it’s the Jaguar XKR featured in the James Bond Die Another Day movie, the E-type Jaguar named the “most beautiful car ever made” by Enzo Ferrari himself which featured in the original 1960s Avengers TV series, or the Mark 2 so beloved of Inspector Morse fans, few if any car marques have earned themselves such public affection.
Part of the secret lies in the continuity maintained by successive generations of Jaguars. They have moved with the times yet each new model is very distinctively a Jaguar and no one would mistake it for anything else. The sleek lines, the understated power, the luxurious interior, are all there yet within a modern up-to-the-minute design.
These virtues are very much in evidence in the latest XE and XF models. The XE is the most advanced, efficient and refined sports saloon car that Jaguar has ever produced and is the foundation of the Jaguar saloon car family. Inspired by the F-Type sports car, it combines assertive looks and an agile drive with the most advanced technologies and luxurious features.
The XF has been described as the XE’s bigger brother. It builds upon all that is great about the XE and combines them with some of the top range features of the XJ model to create a dynamic, premium business saloon that will appeal to the most discerning motorists.
"Jaguar prides itself on luxury," says Jim Ryan, sales director with Jaguar dealer Spirit Motor Group in Dublin. "A Jaguar is something that stands out from the crowd. A person who is looking for a Jaguar is looking for something different, something bespoke. It's a statement about themselves and it appeals to people's individuality."
This is reflected in the brand loyalty exhibited by customers. “A lot of customers come to us from other brands and they stay with Jaguar after that,” says Ryan. “We have very high levels of returning customer retention and brand loyalty.”
The vehicles themselves are highly advanced in terms of design and construction. “Jaguar is a world leader in the area of vehicle aluminium body construction,” Ryan points out.
“They have been building aluminium-bodied vehicles and have been at the cutting-edge of that technology for a long time. Aluminium delivers huge benefits in terms of reducing weight and recycling, which helps to create cars that are lighter, more responsive and more environmentally friendly.
“Lightweight aluminium architecture has been part of Jaguar’s philosophy for well over seventy years. The first Jaguar XK120s in the 1940s used aluminium panels, while C-Type and D-Type racers that dominated Le Mans in the 1950s, and the lightweight E-Type of the 1960s, were pioneers in aluminium chassis and body design.”
Equally as impressive as the exterior styling is the interior. The scent of the leather and the design of the cockpit combine with the form-hugging seats to give an immersive sense of luxury. The Jaguar tradition of using only the highest-quality materials has been maintained throughout.
“Jaguar uses high-quality leathers to deliver a very tactile experience,” says Ryan. “And all of the contemporary wood veneers used in a Jaguar are handmade and exquisitely crafted. This offers the driver an exceptional level of comfort.”
Standing at the centre of all of this is Jaguar's director of design Ian Callum. He enjoys the freedom designers are given at Jaguar: "I think the relationship between packaging, design and engineering here at Jaguar is much more of a two-way conversation."
While traditional features such as leather seats, bespoke steering wheels and timber inlays in the dash and doors remain critically important, the latest technologies still have to be accommodated within the cockpit. This is where “infotainment guru” or, more correctly,
Jaguar’s director of connected technologies and apps Peter Virk
comes in.
The department he runs didn’t exist three years ago but now has 28 people working on apps alone and over 400 more working on infotainment. The team develops the InControl Apps which run from the driver’s smartphone and project them onto the car’s screen. They have designed a hybrid system which will run both online and offline when the car is out of wifi or mobile range and can store map information so that you can still find your way even when you’re not connected.
“The cockpit is very much built around the driver with everything near to hand,” says Ryan. “You get the feeling that the car has been built around you.”
This compelling mix of luxury, performance and top-of-the-line styling is surprisingly affordable. The Jaguar XE starts at just €38,520 while the XF comes in at €45,995. “We recently launched a new year promotion with an offer of a purchase contribution of €4,000 to buyers of new XFs and XEs,” Ryan adds. “Customers are constantly surprised by this. They think that cars of this quality carrying the Jaguar brand will cost €80,000 to €100,000 and come away very pleasantly surprised. In fact, with our Jaguar PCP finance offers at the moment people can own an XE from as little as €370 per month and an XF from just €445 per month.”
[ www.jaguar.ie/offers-and-finance/xf-and-xe-finance-promotion.htmlOpens in new window ]
Choose from Jaguar PCP Finance at 2.9 per cent APR or €4,000 Purchase Contribution
The Jaguar XE and XF, for a limited time, are available with either Jaguar PCP Finance at 2.9 per cent APR or a €4,000 Purchase Contribution:
- XE from €370 per month
- XF from €445 per month
With a free Jaguar Care three-year Service and Warranty Plan across the range, luxury has never been so affordable.
Terms and Conditions apply.