5 things to know about the 2020 Jaguar XE

The 2020 Jaguar XE gets a much-needed mid-cycle refresh, and all the changes together create a vehicle that is both attractive and fun to drive.

Here are the five most important things you need to know about the freshened XE.

Jaguar has a monogram

It’s not something you’d necessarily notice if you weren’t exactly looking for it, but Jaguar has developed a monogram with the introduction of the refreshed XE.

It looks a little bit like a capital “I,” and it's a new recurring theme that appears everywhere from the headlights to the wireless charging pad to the etched grooves surrounding the control dials.

"When we look at luxury brands, they all have their monogram,” said Adam Hatton, creative director of Jaguar exterior design. “Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton -- all of these design houses and fashion houses, people who buy our cars are very used to this look and feel.”

So, you’ll start to see this Jaguar monogram appearing on new vehicles moving forward.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto standard

The XE now adds the Apple and Android phone-mirroring systems to its lineup, and thankfully, unlike some of the German automakers, it’s standard on every trim.

Simply wire in your phone, and approved apps will pop up on the info screen on the center stack of the XE. This allows you to make phone calls and send voice-to-text messages easily without ever touching your phone.

Apps that pop up on these systems include Waze, Google Maps, Podcasts and your Music Library.

Upgraded materials

One of the biggest complaints with the XE has been the cheap and plastic interior materials. So, it should come as no surprise that one of the biggest changes is to the interior design and material grades.

Hatton said the design team, who created this new interior, come from the world of luxury watches and luxury hotel interior design. So, you’ll notice soft-touch materials throughout, upgraded accent pieces, a higher grade of leather seats, and nice finishing touches like reverse stitching.

The overall effect is more upscale than the $41K price tag would suggest.

Only 2 engine options for U.S. market

There are now only two engine options for the XE, and they’re both 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinders. That means you can no longer get a diesel or V-6 version of the XE in the U.S. – though the diesel, at least, will still be sold in other markets around the world.

The P250 models will be equipped with an engine that delivers 247 horsepower and 269 horsepower. The P300 models will be equipped with an engine that delivers 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

Simplified trim structure

Jaguar has also simplified the trim structure for the U.S. market, doing away with SE and HSE variants. So, you’ll get three different flavors of the “S” trim:

• S RWD: $40,895
• S AWD: $42,895
• R-Dynamic S AWD: $47,290

The plain S models will all be P250s, and the lone R-Dynamic will be a P300.

It is worth noting that Jaguar has taken the XE decidedly upscale by opting to have only the S trim available, and the price increases $2,905 over the previous base 25t RWD model.

The Bottom Line:

The 2020 XE will be in dealers starting this summer, and when you consider the amount of technology and interior changes that went into it, this is a significant mid-cycle refresh.

In addition to the simplified engine and trim structures, you’ll get available features such as the Duo Touch Pro infotainment system and the rear camera mirror.

Additionally, the exterior design is more aggressive, the interior is downright sumptuous, and the driving dynamics are pure fun.

For more information about the 2020 Jaguar XE, be sure to visit our full first-look review.