Road Test: Jaguar XF Sportbrake

The XF Sportbrake, the most important car from Jaguar in recent years, will play a key role in the brand's redevelopment plans for 2013 along with the new F-Type sportscar and the C-X75 supercar, writes Trish Whelan.

It comes with Jaguar's signature design, performance and durability; authentically providing luxury and modern technologies with the brand's rich heritage. It is a true Jag in every respect and the most efficient Jaguar car ever.

This luxury estate is expected to reach out to new Jaguar customers, attracting people who occasionally need the extra space but who appreciate the performance brands and the quality they represent. Research shows they will have pretty active lifestyles. Half of car sales in Europe in this segment are estates.

Ireland and the UK will share the same engines and specifications when the car is launched. That will be mid-January in this country. Prices will be from €47,500 for the 2.2 diesel SE version, and from €61,500 for the 3.0 V6 diesel. However, Doug McCoy of Jaguar Land Rover Ireland says these prices are indicative for now, and depend on the outcome of the December Budget.

The 2.2 163hp version comes with a C02 reduction to 135g/km C02; takes just 10 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint and averages 55.4 mpg. There's also a 200hp which takes just 8.2 seconds for the same sprint. The 3.0 V6 returns around 46 mpg.

Built on the same wheelbase as the XF saloon, the Sportbrake extends the performance of the saloon which was launched back in 2008 and which has become the car of choice for many Irish executives. But this stretched XF has the added practicality of the big cargo area. It has the same torsional rigidity as the saloon, and is just 70kg heavier.

Jaguar's chief designer Adam Halton said at the car's launch in Edinburgh last week that they had always wanted to design a Sportbrake version of the XF saloon. He told how the design team had benchmarked the competition, and had 'bettered it'. Key rivals include Audi's A6 Avant, BMW's 5-Series Touring and the Mercedes E-Class Estate.

"When we design a Jaguar, we want people to be able to enjoy it and see it as a beautiful object. When you see a car, you look at the profile as it flashes past, and at the proportions. We design our cars so that your eye travels around the whole car. So you will appreciate that this XF Sportback is not just a box stuck on the back of an XF saloon."

The car is indeed an object of desire, for its beautiful lines, as well as for its sporty performance and agility as it has all the driving characteristics of a Jaguar. It's what Jaguar call 'being alive'.

Driving it last week around the border counties of Scotland brought home just how good a car it is. Performance and handling are just like the sporty XF saloon. Both engines are mated to a really smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox.

As with the exterior, the cabin has been upgraded. It retains the essential Jaguar appeal of premium quality and crafted materials, all complemented by the use of intuitive technology. It's also full of many lovely little touches. A centrally mounted touch-screen allows you control the navigation system and a range of other functions, and new rear seats allow five to sit in comfort with extra headroom.

With rear seats folded, there's a superb load space of 1970mm in length with separating bars to keep items secured. The load area can acommodate a set of golf clubs, stored sideways, or a full 4.5 ft tall fridge as we discovered!

Never in a million years did I expect to drive a Jaguar car around a motorcycle race track with a large fridge in the back. Yet this is exactly what happened when we arrived at the East Fortune former airfield outside Edinburgh to test the adaptive dynamics damping as well as enjoying some track driving in Sport mode, and lane changing with the cruise control set at 55mph. Quite scary but the car can handle it with ease.

We did four laps with, and then four laps without the fridge to see if there was any difference in body roll. Any change was minimal due to the rear air suspension system which pumps the back of the car back up to its correct height. This automatic, self-levelling rear air suspension comes as standard.

While there are 72 different accessories available including roof rack, cycle rack and tow bar, the standard entry level spec includes BlueTooth, 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, dual zone climate control, electric seat adjustments and zenon headlights. A mix of leather/suede is standard, while the luxury model will have leather.

The Irish distributor expects to sell up to 50 units of the Sportbrake in a full year out of a total of around 250 units in this luxury estate segment.

This is a stylish and dynamic car that drives 'brilliantly' and has the added practicality of an estate.