Jaguar XE R-Sport review: Everyday superhero?

In this game of ours we can’t help forming an opinion of a car before we’ve driven it. We do that based on how it looks, how the spec shapes up, and even, to a degree, the opinions of some trusted friends and journalists. All of whom have raved about the new Jaguar XE and its star qualities.

The XE is up on a pedestal from the off, then. But there’s also that age-old saying: never meet your heroes. They’ll always disappoint you. Is the same true with cars? We wonder whether the new Jaguar XE could be a case-in-point, or are the raving critics right?

We had a week to find out with the Jaguar XE, but in its go-faster R-sport trim, mixed with the lower power output 2.0 diesel engine.

Jaguar XE review: First impressions count

A good test of a car today is its ability to make you feel at home; for it to be intuitive to use and give you confidence behind the wheel despite any unfamiliarity.

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With that in mind we collected the XE while out at another event, some 200 miles from home and, therefore, with about 4 hours for it to make a good first impression.

It got off to a good start. There’s little worse than rush hour London traffic. But with the satnav fired up, a full tank of diesel and an 8-speed automatic gearbox the XE is the sort of car that should make a decent fist of tedious stop-start traffic.

We’re sat on jet black leather chairs, too, which in this test car were both heated/cooled and power-adjustable.

The hour we (predictably) spend getting out of central London does little to help us form a driving impression, but provides useful time to drink in the XE’s interior and get to know its new infotainment system.

Jaguar XE review: InControl tech

Following the Land Rover Discovery Sport, the XE was the first car in JLR’s range to receive the company’s new InControl multimedia system. This comes in two versions: InControl Touch (as tested here) with an 8-inch touch screen and a largely analogue gauge cluster; and InControl Touch Pro, with a 10-inch touch screen and, oh, the same cluster.

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On the XF and F-Pace go with the Pro option and you get a digital, customisable cluster. But the XE’s denied that and sticks with the analogue setup regardless of what screen size you choose.

Given that we’ve repeatedly lambasted JLR’s old touchscreen interface, we were looking forward to trying InControl. And it’s fair to say it’s a massive step forward.

It’s mostly easy-to-use and we like the use of colour within the user interface, which helps when moving between satnav, phone, media and car. On most screens the buttons are much bigger and easier to hit than before and it’s quicker to respond than before and feels more accurate, partly because the screen is capacitive, multitouch technology. The navigation system is easy to enter full UK postcodes into, and you can control most things from the steering wheel.

The display has an 800×480 pixel resolution, which is about the standard for this class now, but move up to InControl Touch Pro and you jump to a decent 1280 x 542 (besting the Audi A4’s MMI Navigation Plus, which runs 1024 x 480px).

With the £500 optional Meridian stereo system fitted to our car, media and radio played out crisply and with very decent bass to a high volume.

Nags? The processor on this lower-level system must be quite low-spec as there’s definite lag when moving between screen menus. And on some screens the graphics get a bit busy and child-like which doesn’t fit the premium vibe. There’s no Google Streetview or Earth overview (hello Audi), or CarPlay/Android Auto to test out, at least on our test car — thought it is coming. The information display in the cluster is still limited in what it shows, and bears the graphics that JLR has had for a long time, so feels like it’s from a different era to the main screen.

Overall, however, the new InControl system is a big and welcome step forward. More importantly, the system from our test car comes as standard. For speed, clarity and premium feel, both BMW’s Pro Media system and Audi’s MMI+ best it and work via a rotary controller which we think is safer and preferable to touchscreen when on the move. But these two competitors cost you at least a grand. (Caveat: On the R Sport model adding InControl Pro is a £1,100 option, bundled with the £500 Meridian Hi-fi upgrade, totalling £1,600).

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One option our test car came with, which we’d suggest you skip, is the head-up display (HUD). This is a new, laser-based system which projects direct onto the windscreen (rather than a secondary pop-up screen). However, we found the display quality mediocre, and the data — it shows speed, speed limit, gear and sat-nav turn-by-turns — too crammed together. Most annoyingly, we found when driving swiftly that the nav turn arrow — which progressively fills itself in as you approach the actual turn — just didn’t keep up with our real-world turns. It’s a really nice UI idea, it just doesn’t quite work yet.

Jaguar XE review: In the hot seat

Having spent half an hour mostly fiddling with InControl Touch — establishing it paired our iPhone 6 easily and made calls faultlessly — we were still crawling in traffic and our attention turned to the XE’s interior.

Our car was in an all-black colour scheme, which in our view doesn’t do it huge favours. If you’re after airiness, throw some cream or red leather colourways at the XE (£0 cost option) to offer yourself a little in the way of light relief.

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Despite not sitting as low in the driver’s seat as you feel you do in a BMW 3-Series or Audi A4, there’s a greater sense of being ensconced in the Jag, because the XE has a high waistline accentuated by a tide-line design feature which wraps around the base of the windscreen and onto the doors. The core volume of the dashboard sits below it. What this creates is a sense you’re in quite a small, tight cockpit environment. Which is really nice when you’re on your own or in the mood for a bit of fun driving. There’s plenty of space for 6ft 5 bodies in the driver’s chair and the whole thing makes the car shrink around you.

But it is true this cabin — considered beyond the driver’s seat at least — is smaller than the competition. The relentless black doesn’t help. The plastics and fixtures, with the exception of the chunky aluminium air-vent surrounds in the end of the dash, are a bit low rent, too.

Perhaps the biggest issue for many buyers will be the fact that the boot’s smaller than the German competition. Jaguar has recently said it’s not going to do an estate version of the XE either, so if you need extra family space and want a Jag, for now you might need to look upmarket to the F-Pace.

Jaguar XE review: Ingenium

The XE is Jaguar’s first mid-sized executive saloon since the X-Type. Thankfully, it’s not based on a Ford Mondeo platform like that old car was, but instead JLR’s aluminium-intensive rear drive platform.

The big news for XE is the new “Ingenium” four-cylinder engine range. The diesel options, which over 90 per cent of buyers will choose, comes in two guises: low-power 163-horsepower (as tested here), and higher-output 180-horsepower.

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The new engine is torquey, well-matched to the brilliant ZF 8-speed auto gearbox and hits 60mph in 7.7 seconds, keeping it competitive. It also chucks out just 106g/km in this R-Sport guise, which is better than an equivalent Audi or BMW.

This is all good news if you’re a company car XE buyer, as for the first time there’s no penalty — actually probably an advantage — tax-wise, in choosing a Jag over a Beemer or Audi.

Sense a “but” coming? Well, it arrives in the form of noise, refinement and some spec-for-spec decisions to no doubt achieve that low CO2 score. Put simply, our biggest issue with the 2.0d engine, and the XE in general as tested here, is noise and lack of refinement.

The engine’s clattery at start-up and when the stop-start does its thing it sends a shudder through the cabin. When you rev it, it gets loud and coarse. It reminds us of Merc’s much older 220 variant diesel in its noise and slightly old-school approach. Which, overall, is a shame for Jag because otherwise the XE is great to drive, decently refined on the motorway, but the engine remains a constant background thrum throughout the experience. It did give us over 51mpg over 600-miles use though.

And it’s all a bit odd, because having tried both the higher-spec 180bhp engine and the Ingenium engine in the XF and Land Rover Discovery Sport, this test XE seemed markedly worse than the others, noise-wise. Potentially just a one-off duff then, but our primary advice would be, if you’ve the extra cash go for the higher-output 180. This might sound like typical journalist “go faster!” speak — but there’s more than just the driving experience at play here.

Firstly, the higher-power engine is rated at the same CO2 level, so there’s only the extra list price to add to your tax penalty, and as a private user, none at all in terms of actual car tax. Of course, the 180 is a little faster but it also opens up some choice options, notably bigger alloys. The 17-inch (no cost option) affairs on our R-Sport look decidedly puny compared to BMW’s M-Sports which many seem to take in 19-inch, and on the lower-power engine you can’t even option 18s, whereas they’re standard on the 180bhp R-Sport.

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So were it our money, that’s what we’d do: spend the cash on the bigger engine and wheels, because then you’ll have an XE that drives better and looks nicer. The bigger engine is only £700 extra with this particular spec.

Jaguar XE review: In the spotlight

It’s spec-sensitive then? In terms of looks, we’d say so. Drive wise, however, it’s very much about the engine because otherwise the XE is right at the top of its class. Jaguar has consistently produced the best steering cars in their class for a few years now, and the XE is no different. The ride is good too (bear in mind those 17-inch wheels on our car help — but Jag can setup bigger wheel arrangements well, we’ve found).

Being rear-drive, the Jag level-pegs with the BMW 3-Series in the fun-to-drive stakes. The newly refreshed 3-Series feels slightly keener and with its adaptive dampers and big wheels rides impressively. The Jag steers better, rides well without fancy dampers and is neutral-to-oversteer-led if you prat about with it. Neither have quite the refined, cruiser qualities of an Audi A4, with its amazing sound deadening. Think carefully about the sort of driving you do before picking. But ultimately there’s not a dud in this class.

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Specification-wise, in R-Sport trim the Jag comes well equipped. Even basic SE spec gets you the 8-inch InControl media interface, Navigation and Traffic sign/speed limit recognition, Bluetooth, DAB and rear parking sensors. Prestige spec adds leather and heated front seats; this R-Sport throws in Xenon lamps with the J-blade running lamps, sports suspension and body kit, and (on the higher output engine) the 18-inch wheels.

Options we’d consider? The Meridian sound system at £500 is an excellent buy, although we’ve no normal system to compare it to — the standard setup might be fine. The panoramic sliding roof at £1,020 is expensive but brings needed light into the cabin, while Jet light Taurus (cream) or red leather (£0 cost options) is something we’d definitely do. A parking pack to add front sensors and a rear camera is £545.

Beyond that list the XE doesn’t really need speccing up — with only keyless entry being a real nice-to-have standout on the options list (£515). Note that, especially in R-Sport spec, the XE doesn’t feel de-contented in the way a 3-Series or A4 can. Big thumbs up from us for that, Jaguar.

Verdict

Jaguar has been away from this class of car for some time, and over our week with the XE we established it has made a car that’s a really decent competitor to the German competition. If you like driving, really want to buy British or have been through a series of Audis, Mercs and BMWs and then this is definitely a car we can recommend without much hesitation.

For us, three points pull it down. Despite its newness, InControl isn’t up to the standards set by German infotainment systems and the new tech on this car (like the HUD) doesn’t work that well. The XE is also notably less spacious than an Audi A4 (particularly), but also 3-Series or C-Class, and the cabin doesn’t have any of the specialness we’d like, nee expect in a Jag — especially in all-black.

But the biggest fly in the ointment is this lower-power diesel engine’s refinement, and the small wheels it dictates which spoil the looks. So as tested, the XE makes for a very solid four star car. However, based on other (admittedly brief) experiences, and given that it’s just a £700 extra in R-Sport spec, with the higher-output engine the XE would gain a half star extra.

The Jaguar XE R-Sport doesn’t quite attain superhero status then, but it can hold its head high, because it mostly level-pegs with the much longer-established German competition.

Never lose your keys again Land Rover owners, Tile just teamed up

Tile is a smart Bluetooth tag that can be found using your smartphone, so it makes sense that Land Rover has teamed up with its creators to make sure you never lose you car keys, and more, again.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport features the InControl Touch Pro system which will work with the Tile tags, linking them to the car. Thanks to an app on the smart infotainment system the car can work with the Tile, meaning it can be found using the car’s display. This infotainment system will roll out across Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles so expect Tile integration to get even greater in the future.

The car will be able to let you know, before you drive off, if the Tile or Tiles are not in the car. So if you have one in your bag, or attached to your house keys, you’ll know you’ve forgotten them before setting off.

Should you lose the tag, and not be able to find it from its last know location – which is shown on the car’s 10.2-inch display – then you can activate the Tile’s 90dB alarm to find it using sound.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport 2017 is available to buy now from £31,095 – check out our first drive review below to see what we thought of the compact SUV.

READ: Land Rover Discovery Sport 2015 first drive

Uber’s app can guide its drivers to the cheapest gas

Uber drivers are (still) officially independent contractors after the company settled suits in several states, so every dime spent is a dime not earned. At least they won’t have to leave the app to find cheap gas, thanks to a new Uber driver app feature called Fuel Finder. It shows the price and relative position of service stations on a map, and when drivers tap on the icon, shows the exact distance and name. A further tap gives them turn-by-turn navigation for the quickest route.

The company tries to keep drivers in the app by offering built-in navigation and other features. Until now, though, drivers trying to juggle gas prices have been forced to use third-party apps like Gas Buddy, which means possibly carrying a second phone. That’s no longer necessary, and Uber says it also updated the app’s driver dashboard to make it easier to find things like passenger ratings, trip history and receipts without going to a computer.

Uber recently settled a $100 million lawsuit with drivers in Massachusetts and California, pending approval by a judge. Drivers sought to be reclassified as employees, rather than contractors, citing labor laws. The terms of the settlement mean drivers stay independent, so Uber still doesn’t have to pay medical, insurance and other expenses. While the drivers didn’t get what they wanted, they did squeeze some concessions — they can no longer be deactivated without explanation, for instance. New policy changes also mean tipping is easier, but unlike the gas finder, it’s still not included in the app.

Via: The Verge

Source: Uber

Nintendo to launch NX console in March 2017

We don’t know what it looks like. We don’t know how it plays. But now, we finally know when Nintendo’s next system will be launching: March 2017. The company’s mysterious “NX” platform was first teased more than a year ago, during an investor presentation that also outlined its smartphone strategy. We’ve heard plenty of rumors since then, including a console-handheld hybrid, a system more powerful than the PS4 and Xbox One, and a console with a bizarre touchscreen controller (including faked photos) based on Nintendo patents. The house of Mario has stayed quiet throughout, stating only that it will talk about the console later in 2016.

The next generation of #Nintendo is coming March 2017! #NX pic.twitter.com/u4KFIRJedw

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 27, 2016

What’s crystal clear, however, is Nintendo’s need for a new, successful console. The Wii U has been a disaster, despite offering high quality games like Splatoon, Super Mario 3D World and Bayonetta 2. The GamePad never resonated with players and the console’s reduced horsepower — at least in comparison to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 — means that third-party support is now almost non-existent. The 3DS, while successful, is also starting to show its age. To stay relevant and turn around its recently dismal financial earnings, Nintendo needs a new system to act as a foundation. As such, there’s a lot riding on the NX right now.

Source: Nintendo

Nintendo delays new ‘Zelda’ to 2017, announces NX version

There’s good news and bad for Nintendo’s upcoming Legend of Zelda open-world title for the Wii U console. First the bad: It’s been delayed again, so it won’t arrive now until 2017. The good news is that it’s going to come out on the next-gen Nintendo NX console, which, by the way, Nintendo just revealed. In a (roughly translated) tweet, Nintendo Japan says that it pushed back the game “for further quality improvement,” adding that it will be released “simultaneously” on the Nintendo NX.

Nintendo officially confirmed that its “new concept” NX console is coming in March (in a very boring way, via its financial statement), so it’s hard not to think of the launch of another Zelda game, Twilight Princess. That title, which launched around ten years ago, was supposed to come to the Gamecube in 2005. However, it ended up being delayed until 2006, and actually came first to that era’s next-gen console, the Wii, to support its launch.

The new Legend of #Zelda will be the focus of #E3 2016. It will launch simultaneously on both Wii U and NX in 2017 pic.twitter.com/FGqEdakXkt

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) April 27, 2016

Source: Nintendo (Twitter)

‘Top Gear’ gets an online spinoff called ‘Extra Gear’

Later this year, there’ll be two brand new motoring shows on our screens: Top Gear, led by Chris Evans, and an original Amazon series fronted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. That would normally be enough for any pertrolhead, but the BBC has found a little more room for some extra programming. Today, the Beeb announced that it will launch an online-only spinoff called Extra Gear, which will be hosted by Top Gear presenter Rory Reid and feature behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and “specially-recorded films” that aren’t in the main show.

Extra Gear will live on BBC Three, via the web-based channel and its companion website, and will go live immediately after Top Gear finishes on BBC Two. It’s a massive boost for the channel, which went online-only in mid-February, and the format is likely to suit presenter Rory Reid, who made his name making motoring videos for car websites like Recombu.

There’s some good news for Top Gear fans outside of the UK, too. The BBC says it plans to distribute the Extra Gear to international broadcasters — including BBC America and BBC Brit — and it will air alongside the main show when it premieres in May. With Clarkson and co. also launching a new online motoring community called DriveTribe, motoring fanatics will soon be spoilt for choice. Is it possible for BBC’s and Amazon’s shows to live side-by-side? We’ll have to wait and see.

Source: BBC Media Centre

Comcast is reportedly in talks to buy DreamWorks Animation

In the past Dreamworks Animation has been mentioned as a possible purchase for companies including Fox, Hasbro and Softbank, but now reports say it’s in talks with Comcast. The Wall Street Journal first reported the discussions, claiming Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is courting an offer from the cable behemoth of over $3 billion. The live action arm of Dreamworks, now renamed Amblin Studios, is distributed by Comcast’s Universal Pictures which could bring the two back together in a way after the animation arm spun off on its own in 2004. Also, as The Hollywood Reporter mentions, Universal is already home to Illumination Entertainment, which created Despicable Me and Minions, and sees the two as a competitor to Disney/Pixar.

Other considerations include DreamWorks Animation’s ongoing deal with Netflix to create thousands of hours of programming, and the internet video studio AwesomenessTV, which Verizon (owner of Engadget’s parent company AOL) recently bought a stake in. Considering the deals that weren’t over the past few years, this deal is still far from certain, but we’ll see if Comcast succeeds in adding another large entertainment piece to its stable.

Source: Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Bloomberg

Sony says numerous ‘Uncharted 4’ copies were stolen

Sony’s President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has just announced that “a number of copies” of the upcoming game Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End have been stolen in transit. A few copies have surfaced ahead of the game’s official release on May 10th — British site Videogamer reported yesterday that discs were appearing at second-hand stores in the country. Not acknowledging the irony, Yoshida says “Sony is continuing to to work with the police to resolve the matter, which is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.” He urges gamers to be vigilant for potential spoilers resulting from the theft, and says it will be “worth the wait” till May 10th.

There could be a quick end to this tale, depending on the intelligence of the parties involved. It’s a policy of CEX, the second-hand store where one copy was purchased from, to require a valid photo ID when buying a game. If the thief in this case used their actual ID, the police will have a very simple job in identifying who was at fault. Additionally, the UK has very strict laws on handling stolen goods, and CEX itself may in trouble for not doing its due diligence (it doesn’t seem to care, though). We’ve reached out to all parties involved for more information.

Keen-eyed among you may have noticed that this all seems to have happened on April 26th, which was once the release date for the game. Despite a criminal enquiry being opened, there’s a possibility that this is not in fact a theft, and instead is an early shipment issue. For now, all we have to go on is Sony’s word, but we’ll update you on any developments to the story.

Source: Sony

‘Animal Crossing’ and ‘Fire Emblem’ are coming to smartphones

Nintendo is working on smartphone apps based on two of its most beloved franchises: Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem. The company announced both projects in a tweet, revealing little about their gameplay or how they would be priced. Fire Emblem is a tactical role-playing game, giving you control of an anime army as it battles through increasingly difficult skirmishes. The latest iteration was Fates on the 3DS, which came in three different versions called Birthright, Conquest and Revelation. Animal Crossing, meanwhile, is a more casual franchise about living in a carefree village, performing menial tasks and furnishing a beautiful home.

More #Nintendo apps are coming to smart devices, including Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing! pic.twitter.com/VIWLm8ehvH

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 27, 2016

Both series are popular on Nintendo’s handheld systems, making them ideal for the smartphone treatment. They’ll join Miitomo, a new app which the Japanese company launched in March. The game is based loosely on Tomodachi Life, asking you to create a Mii and answer seemingly mundane questions. Responses are shared with all of your followers, and subsequent hearts and comments are rewarded with the app’s in-game currency. These coins can be used to buy new clothes and improve the player’s style ranking. A final “Miifoto” feature lets you dress up your Mii and snap silly photos, using any image in your phone’s camera roll as a background.

The app has already accrued 10 million users and over 20 million Miifotos. That’s impressive given the cut-throat nature of the App Store and Google Play, and bodes well for the game’s ability to generate revenue. If Nintendo can find similar success with Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing, it’ll keep investors quiet while it works on its new NX console for March 2017.

Source: Nintendo

Two SpaceX founders will build a rocket for microsatellites

Two of SpaceX’s founders have started another rocket startup, but aren’t entering the standard satellite game themselves. Instead Vector Space Systems, which just announced $1 million in angel investment, will build launch vehicles expressly designed to put microsatellites into orbit.

Its first rocket, the Vector, is still in development. When complete, it is projected to carry 5 to 50kg (11 to 110 pounds) of cargo at a potential cost of $2 to $3 million per rocket. This makes it ideal for lighter microsatellites, which range from 20 to 200 pounds. At about $60 million per Falcon 9 launch, the Vector offers a far cheaper solution to deploy microsatellites. Virgin Galactic plans to use its WhiteKnight airplane lifter and deploy from orbit, while Google co-invested in SpaceX for $1 billion to deploy its own.

Vector still has plenty of testing ahead of it, but the company claims that its prototype rockets have flown to heights of 100,000 feet without issue. The plan is to attempt a first demonstration flight of the full rocket this summer, and reach orbital flight by 2018.

Via: The Verge

Source: Vector Space Systems