It drove dead straight on the highway, but that’s expected. Like the XJ, the XE feels moderately stiff, maybe a 6.5 or 7, but it absorbs bumps like something much softer.

Now, Jaguar has a worthy competitor with the XE sedan. I drove the V-6 version and was blown away by the performance and handling, but the base trim level left some of the luxury out. So this time ...

“You’re going to love it, it’s pretty much an F-Type with four doors,” a Jaguar rep told me on the eve of my drive in the all-new 2017 Jaguar XE. I think he oversold it a bit.

Better, then, to opt for the 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 that the XE 35t R-Sport shares with its F-TYPE cousin. That nets you 340 HP and 332 lb-ft. of torque, for a 5.1 second 0-60 mph time and a ...