Jaguar XE diesel has been launched in India at Rs 38.25 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The XE sedan was available only in the petrol guise when it was launched in India last year. Bookings for the diesel XE commenced earlier this month.

The XE diesel, similar to its petrol equivalent, is available in three trims - Pure, Prestige and Portfolio. It remains visually similar to the petrol variant and the features are evenly matched as well.

From Inside, there is an eight-inch touch screen with smartphone connectivity, navigation, Bluetooth, USB, AUX and a 380W Meridian sound system. The upholstery can be in Taurus leather and comes with options of driver seat memory, 10-way electric front seats, four-way lumbar support and light oyster headlining. 

Other features consist of sliding panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, mist sensing, auto-dimming rear view mirror, steering mounted controls, and 12v power sockets.

Under the hood of the new 2017 XE diesel is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged oil burner producing a healthy 177bhp of power at 4,000rpm and 430Nm of max torque between 1,750-2,500rpm. The power is channelled to rear wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, accelerating the sedan from 0-100kmph in 7.8seconds and a top speed of 228kmph.

On the safety front, the XE diesel gets a standard line-up of pedestrian contact sensing, emergency brake assist, whiplash protection, ISOFIX and hazard lights under heavy braking. The list of airbags includes a front side, full-length side window curtain, driver and front passenger, with seat occupant detector for the passenger.

Given that almost all of the sedan on the segment are available with diesel versions, it was high time that British marque introduced the oil burner in India. The new XE diesel goes up against the German trio of Mercedes-Benz C220d, the BMW 320d and the Audi A4 35TDI.