Jaguar XE P250 R-Dynamic 2021 UK review

Athletic compact saloon is given what’s likely to be its final shot in the arm The future looks bleak for the XE, and when Jaguar goes electric-only in 2025, it’s likely that this saloon will disappear forever from its line-up.Not that this has prevented the car from being updated for 2021, including one revision that might redefine the way you view Britain’s answer to the BMW 3 Series in the limited time it has left.Among the changes is the adoption of Jaguar Land Rover’s new Pivi Pro infotainment, which in the XE goes without the large glossy display found in the refreshed XF and F-Pace but does possess the same slick graphics and intuitive, responsive menu layout. This alone is an enormous improvement.There’s then also a new 201bhp 48V mild-hybrid diesel powertrain, which is rated at almost 60mpg and helps to address one of the XE’s main failings: high official CO2 emissions.Neither of these additions is the game-changing one, though; that’s Jaguar’s decision to hack roughly £5000 from the XE’s asking price. It means this example, the rear-driven P250 turbo petrol in R-Dynamic guise – which sits between the lower-powered D200 mild-hybrid diesel and the range-topping, four-wheel drive P300 and is probably the most enticing XE for keen drivers – costs from just £31,010. Which is less than Volkswagen asks for the Golf GTD.