When 300 Means 2.0: Jaguar's Smallest Sedan Lands New Trim

In today’s automotive naming culture, “300 Sport” cannot possible mean there’s a 3.0-liter engine under the hood. Too obvious. No, much like the Mercedes-Benz C300, the 2019 Jaguar XE 300 Sport will not budge above two liters of displacement.

It will, however, budge well above the priciest 2.0-liter XE’s MSRP. Luckily, you’ll probably never need to know about this, as the XE’s lacklustre U.S. sales suggest this introduced-in-Europe trim will remain on the east side of the Atlantic.

The XE 300 Sport is an all-wheel-drive variant powered by the top-tier four-banger in Jag’s engine stable: a 296-horsepower Ingenium mill that generates 295 lb-ft of torque, tamed by an eight-speed automatic.

The 300 Sport revels in a unique shade of dark gray that shows up everywhere — the mirror caps, rear spoiler, grille surround, and 19-inch wheels (20-inchers are available). Inside, sporty contrast stitching makes it known this Jag is not merely a 296-hp, AWD R-Sport. In case you don’t get the message, exterior badging hamners the point home. A 10-inch touchscreen spans the center stack, offering ample distraction for both driver and passenger.

Yes, it’s mainly an appearance package, one that garners a significant price premium across the pond. British customers can expect to fork over the equivalent of nearly $10k extra for this model. In the U.S., an R-Sport retails for $53,620 after delivery.

Why all the cynicism? Jaguar sales fell 34 percent, year over year, in the U.S. last month, with sales of the XE down 54.4 percent. Over the first quarter of 2018, sales of the XE, introduced in mid-2016, declined 45.9 percent. Jaguar’s domestic sales aren’t driven by sedans, regardless of available power — it’s the F-Pace crossover that dominates the sales charts.

The XF also gets the 300 Sport treatment in Europe, with a turbodiesel V6 available in some markets, but it’s unlikely Jag will expend any new energy on the XE and XF over here. So far, there’s been no announcement of a 300 Sport trim for these shores. As much as Jaguar Land Rover would like it, it’s hard to see buyers springing for an extra expensive four-cylinder Jaguar.

[Images: Jaguar Land Rover]