Jaguar makes some of the best cars on the planet, but until now, it has had a 3 Series-sized hole in its portfolio. No longer, though – at the soon-to-begin Paris Motor Show, Jaguar will unveil the XE to the world, which is very big news indeed.

This compact luxury sedan will take on the all-conquering BMW 3 Series, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and from the looks of it, the slugfest is going to be quite intense. Ian Callum, Jaguar’s head of design, has gone with a design that’s every inch a Jag, with more sporty touches than the bigger XF model.

The XE is built extensively of aluminium, giving it both light weight and structural rigidity, and will be available with a choice of five petrol and diesel engines. Yes, you’ll be able to buy one in India, so if you’re itching to put a compact luxury car in your garage, it might be worth waiting till 2015.