Motoring News
Today, 06 June 2016Jaguar XE long-term test review: a weekend away
A weekend trip tests the Jaguar XE’s mettle as comfortable family transport
There are perhaps few bigger tests of a junior executive saloon than the great British family holiday. For our long-term Jaguar XE, that came with a long weekend at Center Parcs in Suffolk.Three generations of the family were going, so we needed two cars. So while most participants were loaded into the family Ford S-Max, I was tasked with taking my grandparents in the Jaguar. I was impressed with how well the XE swallowed our luggage, but at 455 litres, the XE’s boot is some way behind that of the BMW 3 Series. The load bay slopes upwards, too, meaning some clever packing is required to get everything in place.With everyone on board, we were surprised by the spaciousness of the XE’s cabin, although it is a little dark without the optional panoramic sunroof. For £1000, it would really brighten up the interior.All passengers also commented on the clarity of the XE’s 8.0in infotainment display. By default, it displays a home screen that shows the outside temperature, current location, phone connectivity and audio information in a single display, with separate screens for more in-depth data accessed by touchscreen or via buttons. While the system can be slow to respond at start-up, it is dependable and easy to use. Crucially, it has never failed to find a destination.However, I can’t shake the feeling that Jaguar’s larger multimedia system, the 10.2in InControl Touch Pro, would be a better fit with the premium image the XE wants to achieve. Having tried the s
read moreIsle of Man Subaru WRX STI gets 600bhp and a 180mph top speed
We delve under the skin of the WRC-inspired Subaru which Mark Higgins is using to attack the four-wheeled Isle of Man TT course record
This highly modified Subaru WRX STI is being used attempt a new four-wheeled Isle of Man TT record in the coming days.Using the experience of Banbury-based preparation specialist Prodrive in both rally and endurance competition, it aims to establish a new benchmark beyond that achieved by Mark Higgins in 2014 with a production STI.Back then the car was close to standard, with uprated dampers to deal with the island’s vicious bumps as well as slick tyres. This time around it is a purpose-built competition car built to FIA safety standards, a development of the experience learnt from previous TT runs but also Subaru WRC cars.The project, which has been completed in less than a year, is a joint effort between Subaru USA and Prodrive. It uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer engine that shares a lot of its hardware with a WRC engine; however, where that would rev to around 6500rpm, the TT car redlines at 8500rpm.Combined with a larger turbo and tweaks to the engine management, the power figure is believed to be about 600bhp and torque of about 400lb ft. With a kerb weight suggested to be less than 1200kg, Prodrive claims this STI has a com
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