Jaguar XE Gains All-Wheel Drive, Next Generation Infotainment System, And Apple Watch Connectivity

Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - 19:10
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The Jaguar XE, already established as the most dynamic sports saloon in the mid-size segment, once again sets new standards in driver reward and offers an even wider range of state-of-the art technology. The XE has received myriad global awards thanks to its unrivalled balance of ride, handling and refinement. The light, stiff, Advanced Aluminium Architecture, sophisticated suspension and powerful, efficient engines make the XE the driver’s car in its class.

With the addition of InControl Touch Pro – Jaguar’s next-generation infotainment system, torque on-demand all-wheel drive, F-TYPE-derived Configurable Dynamics and a wider range of advanced driver assistance systems, the XE delivers an even more compelling drive.

InControl Touch Pro is state-of-the-art and is designed around a tablet-style 10.2-inch touchscreen featuring highly responsive, superb quality graphics. With intelligent navigation that can tell others if you’re running late, a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices and apps for wearable technology, the XE ensures that you’re always connected.

All-wheel drive (AWD) was engineered into the XE from day one. Available exclusively with the 180PS Ingenium, AWD enhances vehicle dynamics and provides greater traction. Torque is only transferred to the front wheels when needed, maintaining the XE’s inherent agility and rear-wheel drive character.

Adaptive Surface Response (AdSR) makes the AWD system even better by changing the mapping of the powertrain and Dynamic Stability Control system according to the conditions. AdSR leverages Jaguar Land Rover’s world-leading expertise in AWD technologies and traction systems.

Together with class-leading chassis design, the unique combination of AWD, AdSR and the revolutionary All Surface Progress Control system gives the driver greater confidence in adverse conditions. The XE is the definitive all-weather sports saloon.

First developed for the F-TYPE, Configurable Dynamics is now offered in the XE and enables the driver to tailor the car’s character by selecting individual settings for the throttle response, transmission shifts and the Adaptive Dynamics continuously-variable damping system.

The XE also benefits from an enhanced range of assistance systems including Lane Keep Assist and Driver Condition Monitor – a feature which can detect and warn against driver fatigue. The XE also offers the Adaptive Speed Limiter: an intelligent technology which can support the driver by increasing or decreasing vehicle speed when speed limits change.

Range summary 

The new Jaguar XE range will consist of:

XE SE, XE Prestige, XE R-Sport, XE Portfolio, XE S

The powertrain range will consist of:

  • 163PS 2.0-litre diesel manual/ automatic RWD
  • 180PS 2.0-litre diesel manual/ automatic RWD, automatic AWD
  • 200PS 2.0-litre petrol automatic RWD
  • 240PS 2.0-litre petrol automatic RWD
  • 340PS 3.0-litre petrol automatic RWD

The Jaguar XE is manufactured at Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull Plant alongside the all-new F-PACE.

Further pricing and specification details may be explored at: http://www.jaguar.co.uk/jaguar-range/xe/pricing-specifications/index.html

 

Customers can now choose between the InControl Touch system with 8-inch capacitive touchscreen and the next-generation InControl Touch Pro system – Jaguar’s most advanced infotainment system ever. InControl Touch Pro is designed around a tablet-style 10.2-inch touchscreen and is as intuitive to use as it is powerful, making every journey a more enjoyable, rewarding experience.

InControl Touch Pro features state-of-the-art technologies including a powerful quad-core processor and a high-speed 60GB solid-state drive (SSD). Everything is connected using ultra-fast Ethernet – the most advanced network available and up to five times quicker than competing technologies. Put together, this gives InControl Touch Pro incredible computing power and delivers exceptional performance and functionality.

The 10.2-inch touchscreen is the largest in the segment and makes interaction smooth, seamless and intuitive. The home screen can be customised and widgets can be added to provide shortcuts to specific features, functions, tasks and favourite contacts. It’s even possible to add additional customised home screens if desired.

The screen delivers superb graphics and the super-wide display enables multi-tasking. So for instance, media can be shown in the main area of the screen, while the side panel can show journey status, weather reports or phone details – swiping up or down allows the user to select from one of up to five panels.

Because the data is stored on the high-speed SSD it can be accessed in a fraction of the time needed for conventional hard drives, so the graphics are sharp, highly detailed and incredibly responsive. Users can zoom in and out of maps using ‘pinch’ and ‘pan’ gestures – nothing could be simpler or more intuitive.

InControl Touch Pro can get you to your destination even when the GPS signal is lost, thanks to innovative dead-reckoning functionality. By analysing data from the vehicle’s sensors, it can accurately predict the vehicle’s location and heading – something beyond the capability of smartphone navigation apps.

Functionality is taken to the next level by specifying InControl Touch Pro’s data connection and location-based features and services. Enter a destination and the system can check if there’s enough fuel in the tank to complete the journey. If not, the driver is alerted and filling stations on the route that are within range are highlighted on the map: a tap is all it takes to add one as a waypoint.

Drivers can use the system to share destination, current location and estimated time of arrival (ETA) with others via email or text message. If there are delays and the ETA slips, an automatic follow-up message can let them know and provide an update.

InControl Touch Pro can help drivers to avoid hold-ups in the first place: Commute Mode can learn your daily drive and, using historical and real-time traffic information, can suggest alternative routes that will help you to avoid congestion.

Arriving at your destination has never been easier. Once within 200 metres, Approach Mode will show a 360° interactive street-level view of your destination next to the main navigation display: it can even direct you to the nearest available car parking spaces.

A companion app for iOS and Android smartphones enables true door-to-door route planning and guidance and can help you to complete the final stage of your journey by public transport or on foot. The app also enables synching of routes and destinations between the device and the XE’s InControl Touch Pro system so that routes can be set in advance and uploaded automatically once in the car.

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InControl Touch Pro is designed to deliver exceptional audio performance too, and offers a choice of two digital systems developed specifically for the new XE together with world-renowned British firm Meridian. The first is a superb 380W system with 11 speakers (including subwoofer), while the truly outstanding surround sound system delivers 825W and features 17 speakers (including subwoofer).

To enhance the experience still further, this system benefits from Meridian’s Trifield and Audyssey’s MultEQ XT signal processing technologies, producing rich, balanced sound throughout the XE’s cabin. And because all of the speakers and amplifiers are so carefully matched, it delivers its high output with exceptionally low levels of distortion – just 0.2 per cent.

The experience is enriched with Gracenote album art stored on the SSD drive – a massive 10GB is dedicated to user media storage. There are also smart functions such as ‘Play more like this’ which automatically compiles playlists, or Music Queue, which makes it easy to search for and add songs, albums or artists to a music queue while the current track is still playing.

As well as media streaming from smartphones and tablets via two USB ports and a dual-purpose HDMI/ MHL port, InControl Touch Pro offers a CD/DVD player too.

Wearable technology makes it even easier to stay in touch 

The XE’s InControl Touch and InControl Touch Pro infotainment systems support the familiar InControl Apps, Wi-Fi Hotspot, InControl Secure and InControl Protect features, but now the InControl Remote app is available for the Apple Watch, making it simpler and more convenient than ever to interact with the vehicle – no matter where you are.

Offering similar functionality to the InControl Remote smartphone app, drivers will be able to use their Apple Watch to lock and unlock the vehicle, check how much fuel is in the tank and see its location on a map. It’s even possible to set the climate control and start the engine to get the cabin to the ideal temperature before the journey begins. 

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE

Available with the 180PS 2.0-litre diesel engine, Jaguar’s advanced torque on-demand all-wheel drive system and Intelligent Driveline Dynamics technology maintain the XE’s rear-wheel drive handling balance and agility while improving performance in all weather conditions.

The addition of all-wheel drive (AWD) to the range broadens the XE’s appeal still further by maximising the performance and handling benefits of the extra traction, particularly in adverse conditions. The XE is a true all-weather sports saloon.

Like the all-new XF and F-PACE, the XE uses a torque on-demand AWD system featuring a transfer case with a multi-plate wet clutch pack and a chain drive to the front propshaft. It’s a very fast-acting system and can make the transition from purely rear-drive to all-wheel drive in just 165 milliseconds.

In normal driving, all of the engine’s torque is sent to the rear axle, preserving the XE’s rear-wheel drive dynamics, and ensuring that steering feel remains uncorrupted – this would not be possible with permanent all-wheel drive. Such systems also suffer from higher parasitic losses.

How much torque is transferred, and when, is determined by Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD) – a highly sophisticated control technology developed and calibrated entirely in-house and first used on the F-TYPE AWD.

Taking data from the XE’s yaw rate, lateral acceleration and steering wheel angle sensors, IDD continuously estimates the friction between the tyres and the road, and also how much of the available grip is being exploited at each tyre contact patch. IDD is smart and can apply predictive, feed-forward control strategies as well as reactive, feedback control. IDD is also networked to the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system, the torque vectoring system and Jaguar Drive Control to make the AWD system even more effective.

If IDD predicts that the rear axle is approaching the limit of available traction, torque is transferred to the front axle. Torque can also be transferred to the front axle to help mitigate oversteer during fast cornering by providing yaw damping.

Adaptive Surface Response: Intelligent all-wheel drive

The AWD system is made even more effective with the option of Adaptive Surface Response (AdSR). Developed from Jaguar Land Rover’s world-leading, award-winning Terrain Response technology, AdSR adapts the maps of the throttle, transmission and DSC system according to the type of surface, helping the driver to make smooth progress and drive with greater confidence even in the most challenging conditions.

AdSR replaces the Rain, Ice, Snow mode in the Jaguar Drive Control and operates throughout the XE’s entire speed range. AdSR delivers even finer optimisation of the vehicle’s systems to make the most of the available traction.

Automatic transmissions:  Selecting the best

The AWD system is available exclusively with the peerless ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. Two specifically-optimised versions of this highly efficient and smooth-shifting transmission are available in the XE: the supercharged V6 is matched to the 8HP70, while the Ingenium diesel is paired with the lighter, more compact 8HP45.

ADVANCED DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS

The XE offers even more technology than ever to support the driver and help make every journey safer and more relaxing.

The state-of-the-art stereo camera at the heart of the XE’s Autonomous Emergency Braking, Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems also provides the intelligence for the new Adaptive Speed Limiter (ASL) feature. This uses TSR data to adjust the set point, and can automatically increase or decrease the vehicle’s speed while the accelerator pedal is pressed. If a higher speed limit is detected, the ASL system notifies the driver and can smoothly accelerate the vehicle up to the new limit. If the new speed limit is lower, the vehicle can be slowed down accordingly.

Lane Keep Assist (LKA) system builds on the functionality of the LDW system: if LKA determines that the vehicle is likely to drift out of its lane it can guide the driver back towards the centre by using the electric power-assisted steering system to apply a small amount of counter-steering. The amount of torque applied to the steering wheel is slight and can be easily over-ridden.

Tiredness is often a factor when drivers unintentionally leave their lane, and the XE can support them here too. Driving when tired is often characterised by periods of little or no steering input at all, followed by sudden and sometimes excessive inputs when the driver reacts. The Driver Condition Monitor system recognises this behaviour and, by also studying the use of the brake and accelerator pedals and the direction indicators, can encourage the drive to take a break by showing a multi-stage warning in the instrument cluster.

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