The newly launched Jaguar XE, Britain's lightweight competitors for the likes of the BMW 3 Series->ke290 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class->ke1593, will spawn a new family of models, including coupe and station wagon versions. That's the word from Car Advice, who got the information straight from Nick Miller, chief program engineer for the XE, at the sedan's->ke142 official launch in London.

Miller refrained from unveiling any actual details, but he suggested the XE will get more body styles in the future. A coupe->ke141 and an estate are the obvious choices for this lineup. Naturally, the two-door will compete against the 4 Series, with a high-performance version to take on the beefed-up M4. "I’ll never say never for the future – we’re looking at all different styles for the future," he said.

On a side note, Miller also hinted that the C-X17 crossover->ke288 will make it to production on the same platform.

Click past the jump to read more about Jaguar XE.

Why It Matters

Rolling out a coupe and a station wagon for the XE would be the logical next step for Jaguar. The XE S is not only more powerful than the 335i, but also lighter and a half-second faster from naught to 60 mph than the manual-equipped model and 0.2 seconds faster than the automatic model.

The base, 2.0-liter four-cylinder version should also provide a fuel-efficient alternative to BMW's fuel-sipping variants of the sedan. That being said, Jaguar has all it needs to climb atop its most important rivals in the coupe and estate segments as well. And with the XE being quite the pretty Jag, we have a feeling a coupe would only emphasize on its looks.

Jaguar XE

Jaguar's highly-anticipated weapon against the BMW 3 Series is as revolutionary as it gets. The sedan is built on bonded and riveted aluminum structures, an aerospace-inspired technology that leads to impressive weight loss, and designed around a new modular platform. 75% percent of the unibody is crafted from lightweight aluminum, while the suspension features a unique, integral-link system tuned to provide improved lateral and longitudinal stiffness.

Design-wise, the XE blends styling cues taken from the larger XF with new, sporty character lines and body features. The driver-oriented interior is packed with high-quality materials, including wood veneers, leather and Alcantara. A brand-new infotainment system also debuted in the XE.

A supercharged, 3.0-liter, V-6 engine sourced from the F-Type sports car pumps out 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque in the XE S. The performance sedan needs 4.9 seconds to charge from 0 to 60 mph and hits a top speed of 155 mph.