Sportbrake has the XF factor

• ROAD TEST – JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE

YOU could describe the XF Sportbrake model as the most versatile Jaguar ever created – it’s also one of the best looking.

Stylish, elegant and low-slung, the Sportbrake – or estate to most of us – creates something of an optical illusion because despite its lengthy profile it is actually a mere 5mms longer than the XF saloon.

And with only 70kg extra weight it means the Sportbrake can closely match the handling of its saloon stablemate yet offers a bigger, more practical load space and better rear headroom too.

Of course people generally buy estates because they need to shift stuff and in my case a trip to a certain Swedish ready-to-assemble furniture outlet was required.

The car has remote levers mounted in the boot area to lower the rear seats and create a vast load capacity, so the flatpacks were swallowed up by the big cat.

Floor rails are fitted to allow nets and load retainers to be fixed in place and the interior can be protected from mud, water and knocks with rubber or full waterproof liners.

The real surprise though was just how positively the loaded car performed and handled. It’s down to the fact that every derivative of the XF Sportbrake is fitted as standard with self-levelling air suspension at the rear to replace the coil springs fitted to the saloon.

This system has been developed and tuned by Jaguar’s chassis engineers to ensure the model offers identical ride and handling dynamics as the saloon, while keeping the car level even when fully laden.

Power for the Sportbrake, exclusively diesel, comes via 2.2 or 3.0-litre engines with a choice of outputs.

While the 3.0-litre unit is an outstanding engine, the lower capacity 163bhp 2.2-litre powering the tested model is fitted with Jaguar’s Intelligent Stop-Start system, making it the company’s most efficient powertrain to date.

It’s strong, efficient, clean, has plenty of punch and progresses smoothly via its eight-speed automatic gearbox, the only downside being a fair bit of diesel clatter, especially at low speed.

Otherwise you get classic XF experience – and that sense of automotive theatre that lets you both feel and see the car’s heart begin to beat as the Start button pulses red.

Press to fire up the engine and the rotary gearshift rises smoothly into the palm of your hand, the colour touch-screen at the centre of the dash bursts into life and the rotating air vents appear in unison from the fascia.

All models are well equipped with premium kit and fittings, the mid-range Luxury version coming with charcoal leather and carbon veneer. Prices are from £31,945 for the XF Sportbrake 2.2 D SE model.