JAGUAR'Ssmallest saloon was treated to a minor interior revamp late last year to improve the quality of the cabin.

There was too much plastic in the original and that has been sorted by the use of better materials and some upmarket touches.

In the AWD Landmark version I sampled that means you get a 10-inch touchscreen, a superb Meridian sound system, heated electric seats, privacy glass, navigation, two-zone climate control, grained leather sports seats, Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, interior mood lighting and much more.

You also get all the latest safety kit and driver aids while the exterior gets a gloss black grille, black side vents and Landmark badging.

Like many car manufacturers Jaguar has been suffering because of the diesel panic but thankfully that seems to have eased and the 240ps turbochared diesel power plant in the car is just the job.

It is a little bit noisy when first started but it soon settles down and provides smooth and refined performance.

Combined with an eight-speed gearbox it takes just 6.1 seconds to reach 60mph and is good for a top speed of 155mph.

Being a Jag the XE likes to be driven and the suspension handles even the worst of our roads without any fuss. The steering is sharp and the grip excellent - as you would expect from an all-wheel-drive model.

With a claimed combined figure of 49.6mpg the Jag will be fairly economical to run for those that do long distances and emissions are 152g/km.

You really enjoy the Jaguar when you are pushing it hard or cruising on the motorway and the extra quality does make the XE feel a bit more special.

At £44,130 this version is not cheap but you do get a huge amount of standard equipment and the security of AWD.