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Impeccable Feel

3K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  john 
#1 ·
Interestingly the XE sounds like the first vehicle with electrically assisted steering that I'm itching to drive. I don't know how they did it but if it really builds steering resistance as speed increases as well as the reviews say it does... lets say home run?

As we reported in our prototype drive of the XE earlier this year, this car has incredible steering feel. It's the supernatural aid in the XE's monomyth if any film buffs are still paying attention. The electrically assisted system ranks in the hall of fame with the rack on the current Porsche 911 Carrera. Lightly weighted, the loads build up in the steering wheel like it's wired to strain gauges on the sidewall of the front tires.

It's not just good programming that makes the XE steer so well, although that's a big part. The rest comes from the chassis. Jaguar engineers claim the double wishbone front suspension uses lessons learned from the F-Type. The rear part of the car's quick responses comes from a multi-link setup Jag calls integrated link. A body 20-percent stiffer than the current XF also contributes to sharp reflexes. Three-quarters of the structure is made of aluminum, and the dashboard crossbeam uses magnesium. Still, we expect a loaded 35t to tip the scales close to 3800 pounds, close to the BMW 335i's weight.
As BMW's move away from that legendary feel Jag has an excellent opportunity to fill in the vacuum...
 
#2 ·
Well that gets me excited to take it out for a test drive even more than before. Some people complain about electrically assisted steering systems, so I am glad that this one is getting good reviews. I figured there were good systems and bad ones and that it also depends on preferences, and this confirms seems to confirm what I thought.
 
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