Jaguar South Africa will expand the line-up of its XE business class sedan range through the introduction of the 300 SportSpecial Edition derivative and Landmark Edition trim line in July 2018.

The handsomely styled, engaging-to-drive XE is not one of the top-selling models in its segment, yet the 20d R-Sport version of the Coventry-based marque's sedan was a semi-finalist in both the 2016/17 and 2017/18 instalments of the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards– powered by WesBank.

The first new addition to the range is the 300 Sport Special Edition, whichis powered by Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) 221 kW 2.0-litre 4-cylinder Ingenium turbopetrol engine thatdelivers 400 Nm of torque and is said to propel the derivative from 0 to 100 kph in 5.7 seconds.

The 300 Sport Special Edition features distinctive branded black brake calipers.

Available in a choice of Yulong White, Indus Silver, Santorini Black and Caldera Red exterior finishes, the 300 Sport derivative is distinguishable (apart from its bootlid badge) by its branded brake calipers and grille, while the grille surround, side vents, side sills, mirror caps, boot spoiler and rear valance arefinished in Dark Satin Grey. The alloys (either 19- or 20-inch in size) have a Satin Technical Grey finish.

The 300 Sport's interior features badging on the front headrests, steering wheel, mats and treadplates, as well asyellow contrast stitching on the instrument panel, door trims, seats, armrest, mats and seats, of which the fronts areelectrically adjustable and the rear backrest can splitand fold.

The Landmark Edition trim line's interior treatment is more classically elegant than that of the 300 Sport Special Edition.

The Landmark Edition, meanwhile, is based on the existing R-Sport trim line, but with the addition of distinctive 18-inch alloy wheels, a choice of Yulong White, Firenze Red and Santorini Black exterior finishes and it will be available on 2.0-litre turbopetrol and 2.0-turbodiesel XE derivatives.

The exterior treatment incorporates a sporty front bumper, side sills and boot spoiler, while the window surrounds, mirrors, grille surround and side vents (with Landmark badging)are finished in gloss black. The Landmark Edition's interior is similar to the R-Sport's, save forbranded treadplates.

The 300 Sportis powered by the 2.0-litre turbopetrol powerplant, but the Landmark Edition will be available in turbodiesel too.

Standard features on both versions include the 10-inch Touch Pro touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation, xenon headlights and parking sensors fore and aft. Over and above a comprehensive line-up of airbags, ABS and integral stability control systems, the XE derivatives are equipped with a forward-facing stereo camera system that underpins the lane departure warning and lane-keeping driver assistance functions.

All XE derivatives come with a 3-year/100 000 km warranty and 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan. The prices of the new additions to the range will be confirmed at the time of the launch (July 2018).

Interested in the XE? See the range's prices and specifications here

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