Volvo XC60 vs Lexus NX vs Jaguar E-Pace: here's our winner.

Nobody would blame a buyer who heads straight for a German showroom in search of their premium SUV, because those brands are popular for very good reasons. But for those who don’t want to follow the herd, there are a number of compelling alternatives in this class – and none of them come from Germany. In this comparison, we pitch Sweden’s Volvo XC60 against Japan’s Lexus NX and England’s Jaguar E-Pace. All three are top-class products, but only one will get our vote.

Martin Pretorius

13 Nov 2019 · 07:48Buying a Car

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Just because the German "Premium 3" (Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz) have become the default choices in luxury cars and SUVs doesn’t mean that everyone has to conform to this trend. Take the mid-sized SUV market as an example: while the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC (which just had a facelift) and BMW X3 each have their own fans, there are alternative premium SUVs from a myriad of other manufacturers out there as well.

Almost brand-new to our market, but into its second generation already, the Volvo XC60 builds on the strengths of its well-regarded predecessor, yet brings it all into the modern era. Meanwhile, Jaguar was not content with only one SUV in their line-up, so they also offer the E-Pace as a smaller (and more affordable) companion to their large-ish F-Pace. Lexus is another strong contender, having recently refreshed their offering in this market segment, and giving it a name change from NX200t to NX300. Bigger sounds better, see?

To determine how these model ranges compare, we’ve selected three petrol-powered, all-wheel drive derivatives around roughly the same price point. The Volvo XC60 is featured here in its lowest trim level, called the T5 AWD Momentum, the Lexus NX300 appears in entry-level EX trim, and the Jaguar E-Pace is represented by the least-expensive petrol variant, namely the P250 AWD. All three use turbocharged petrol engines, send their power to all four wheels through torque converter automatic gearboxes, and their pricetags vary by less than R4 200. But, even with their similarities, there are some notable differences between them. Let’s have a look at their basic figures first, before delving into the details.

Facts and Figures

	Volvo XC60 T5 AWD Momentum	Lexus NX300 EX	Jaguar E-Pace P250 AWD
Engine size (cyl/size/fuel)	4-cyl, 2.0-litre turbopetrol	4-cyl, 2.0-litre turbopetrol	4-cyl, 2.0-litre turbopetrol
Power/Torque	187 kW/350 Nm	175 kW/350 Nm	183 kW/365 Nm
Kerb Weight	1779 kg	1860 kg	1832 kg
Length (mm)	4 688	4 640	4 398
Boot volume (litres)*	505	500	577
Airbag count	6	8	6
Top Speed (km/h) **	220	200	230
Ave Consumption **	7.3 ℓ/100 km	7.9 ℓ/100 km	7.7 ℓ/100 km
Warranty	5 yr/100 000 km	7 yr/105 000 km	5 yr/100 000 km
Price	R 719 600	R 722 600	R 723 731

*With 5 seats in use.

**Manufacturer's official figures.

Analysis

Even a cursory glance at their specifications and dimensions will show that these three cars are aimed at the same customers, with styling and standard equipment appearing to be the main differentiating factors between them. They just about match each other blow-by-blow on paper, and they’re pretty much on par with their mainstream opponents as well. That’s probably thanks to convergent engineering, mind you: a certain set of requirements generally result in similar solutions, regardless of the product's country of origin.

Power, performance, and drivetrains

Their mechanical layouts mirror each other to the extent that it almost seems like the engineers copied each other’s class notes: motive power is supplied by 2.0-litre forced-induction petrol engines in all three, and there’s only 12 kW and 15 Nm variance between their rated outputs.

The Volvo has the most power here (187 kW), but ties with the Lexus for the least torque (350 Nm). The Lexus also has the least power of this trio, but it’s not like 175 kW is very wide of the mark in any case. The Jaguar probably strikes the best balance between these three, because it almost matches the Volvo on power with its 183 kW, while it also has the most torque here, with 365 Nm on tap.

With such similar outputs, the performance champion will be the lightest one with the most-efficient gearbox. That hands an immediate victory to the Volvo, which is the lightest car here (81 kg lighter than the Lexus and 53 kg lighter than the Jaguar), and has a buttery-smooth but quick-shifting 8-speed automatic slotted between the engine and the AWD system.

According to its official performance claims, the Volvo XC60 T5 should complete a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in 6.8 seconds, compared to the Jaguar P250’s 7.0 seconds and the Lexus NX300’s 7.1 seconds. These figures only tell part of the story, though, because the Lexus is stuck with a 6-speed automatic, which will inevitably have a negative impact on overtaking (in-gear) acceleration, while the Jaguar employs a ZF 9-speed automatic which isn’t known for its responsiveness or intuitive operation either. The most power, lightest weight, and superior gearbox elevate the Volvo to first place in the performance race, with the Jaguar following in second position and the Lexus taking the third spot.

Economy

Just as their claimed performance figures are separated by mere decimal points, so too are they very evenly matched on fuel consumption. According to their manufacturers, the Volvo should return an average consumption figure of 7.3 ℓ/100 km, compared to 7.7 ℓ/100 km for the Jaguar and 7.9 ℓ/100 km for the Lexus. This makes sense, as the factors which influence performance also affect fuel efficiency.

However, none of these cars will return better than mid-8 ℓ/100 km average figures in the real world, because moving this much weight (they’re all pretty heavy cars) in normal driving conditions require a certain amount of energy – and that energy has to come from the fuel tank. Still, based on the aforementioned criteria (and supported by the official claims), the Volvo should be the economy king, followed by the Jaguar and the Lexus in second- and third places, respectively.

Practicality

In a surprising turn of events, the shortest car here (the E-Pace) also happens to have the largest luggage compartment. This is likely thanks to some creative packaging of its independent rear suspension, and the fact that the designers didn’t have to concern themselves with electrification at all – both the Lexus NX and the Volvo XC60 are based on hybrid-friendly platforms, and designing around that need would inevitably have resulted in some space-efficiency compromises.

With that said, both the Volvo and the Lexus trounce the Jaguar on maximum utility space (with the rear seats folded away), and their extra size helps them to offer more generous rear-seat room as well. However, that super-sized boot nets the Jaguar its first place in the practicality department, with the Volvo’s victory in maximum cargo volume helping it to second place here. Yet again, the Lexus has to settle for the third spot, even if it’s quite respectable in its own right.

Equipment and safety

Lexus has always followed the principle of offering almost all extras as standard equipment, and the NX300 is no different in this regard. Navigation and electric adjustment for both (heated) front seats are included in its baseline spec sheet, for instance, while the XC60 at least has navigation included in the base price (along with full electric adjustment for the driver’s seat only).

In contrast, these items are all optional in the base-spec E-Pace P250, and it will also take the ticking of some option boxes to get the Volvo up to the same equipment level as the standard Lexus. The XC60 is the only one to have leather seat upholstery as standard, though. As far as toys and convenience features go, the NX300 has both of its opponents beaten fair and square, relegating the Volvo to second place, and the entry-level Jaguar to third. None of them are spartan, mind you, but there’s no doubt that the Lexus gives you by far the most kit for your money.

In terms of safety, the Lexus also gets out of the blocks with an immediate advantage, thanks to its superior airbag count – it adds dual front knee airbags to the front-, side-, and curtain airbags you’ll find in the others. They’re all 5-star cars according to Euro-NCAP crash testing, however, and feature stability control, ABS, LED headlamps, and ISOFIX child seat anchors as standard. Let’s call the safety race a narrow victory for the Lexus, then, with the Jaguar and the Volvo sharing honourable second places.

Verdict

The first contender to fall out of favour here has to be the Jaguar E-Pace. In entry-level trim, it’s just too sparsely-equipped to compete with the Lexus, and not quite potent enough to upstage the Volvo in either performance or fuel efficiency. While more-upmarket E-Pace variants address all of the base model’s shortcomings, they cost a lot more, only to bring the Jaguar up to the same level as the others offer by default. In short, the Jaguar’s value proposition counts against it in this company: it’s great to look at and fun to drive, but that’s not quite enough to justify its lofty pricetag.

The next one to fall by the wayside (but only just) is the Lexus NX300 EX. While it’s the thirstiest and slowest car here, it compensates with a seriously loaded standard equipment list. Overall, it's close enough to the other two to justify those slight compromises on practicality and performance, on the basis of a nicely balanced spread of abilities and toys.

But as much as the Lexus gives you for your money, the Volvo cleans up on the measurable criteria (performance, economy, ultimate practicality) as well as the subjective points: it’s at least as good-looking as the Jaguar, has the nicest cabin finishes, and offers a fair amount of standard equipment. Yet again, there are more-expensive XC60s available, and they improve on this comparatively sparsely-equipped Momentum trim level in performance and specifications, but those upgraded models aren’t really necessary to make it competitive.

That’s what sets the Volvo XC60 apart from the other two: it gives a strong showing across the board, and doesn’t need added embellishment for its excellence to show through. Far more than just an opponent to these two contenders, the XC60 can realistically take the fight to the established premium players - and have a good chance of winning. It’s the best choice here, and probably in different company as well...

* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.