JAGUAR can expect a call from a 94-year-old Midlander looking to change his car to the company's new - and commercially crucial - XE saloon.

You can bet they'll find him the car of his dreams; for the man in question spent decades driving Jaguars to (and over) their limits, sometimes on race circuits but mostly away from the camera's eye on closed test tracks.

He's called Norman Dewis and he's a glowing gem in Jaguar's rich heritage and happy to help when a new model is being introduced to the press.

Stepping out of from his first drive of the new XE, his face a picture of content, he was certain the car could comfortably carry the fight to its talented rivals, built in Germany and badged Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Produced in a vastly expensive plant in the formerly totally Land Rover kingdom in Solihull, the XE features lots of aluminium for relative lightness and a range of new Wolverhampton-built Ingenium petrol and diesel engines aimed at making the newcomer as frugal and tailpipe clean as possible.

It all adds up to a stunning investment, financed you imagine largely on the colossal success of the highly profitable Range Rovers pouring fromSolihull, to be grabbed by well off buyers all over the world.

When Jaguar's first SUV, the F-Pace hits the road next year, Solihull hopes to be building a new car every 78 seconds.

That won't happen if the XE is a sales flop. Jaguar has recent(ish) history of over-promising on sales, with the X-Type sales turning into a mere shadow of expectations.

This time things look a lot brighter. The X-Type was fatally wounded by sharing the oily bits you couldn't see (like engine and gearbox) with the Ford Mondeo. That sort of thing doesn't hurt Audi, which has things in common with Skoda under some of its bonnets, but it did for Jaguar.

With absolutely everything custom designed for the XE, Jaguar escapes any accusations of dumbing down. It is also playing pretty safe with the look of the new car, to the extent it's easy to confuse it with the bigger and older XF saloon from a distance.

Still, a touch of conservatism does no harm with the opposition and you might agree the XE looks smart, restrained and modern on the outside.

Inside, there's so much styling restraint being shown that it looks a bit dull compared to something from the past master of upmarket cockpits - Audi.

It all works well enough, with a modern touchscreen helping on the sat nav front but there's is room for more wow factor here, especially in a car almost at the top of the tree and tipping the cash scales at £35,425 before options.

That substantial cheque brings you an XE in well-specced Portfolio trim with 176bhp diesel engine, eight speed automatic gearbox, 18-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, satellite navigation and leather upholstery.

The XE range starts with a petrol powered SE for £29,775 and tops out with a 340 horsepower road burner petrol S model at £44,865. You might guess the sweet spot in the range would be a lower spec, lower power diesel, like the £31,525 2.0D SE automatic, promising an improbable 68.9mpg in everyday use.

A moderately gentle drive in the higher powered diesel showed an encouraging 50mpg on the trip computer (67.3mpg is claimed officially) and it ought to easy to top 40mpg on roads less infested with 50mph rural limits.

Importantly for business drivers - who are crucial to the XE's future - emissions are a competitive 109g/km putting the car into the 19 per cent company car tax bracket.

Just as important, even without ever approaching the car's 140mph top speed or the 0-62mph dash in 7.4 seconds, it feels as a proper Jaguar should.

That means a firm but controlled ride, perfectly weighted steering and an eagerness to turn into corners that even gives this biggish car the feel of a well trained but enthusiastic puppy (or wild cat, I suppose).

Other Jaguar traits are maintained with a rear seat offering enough but not generous leg room and a boot some way from cavernous, but surely sufficient.

It all adds up to a highly promising start as Jaguar turns from perennial hopeful to main stream achiever.