New cars: what the critics say
The Daily Telegraph
Jaguar’s success in the “posh family car” market won it record sales last year. Now joining the popular F-pace SUV is the handsome XF Sportbrake, an estate car that draws on the marque’s tradition of large and luxurious saloons, but also offers a stonking 565 litres of boot space. With self-levelling air suspension at the rear as standard, it’s smooth, quiet and altogether “superb” to drive.
Autocar
Jaguar’s best-looking nonsports car is “a corker”. There’s nothing unique about the wrap-around lines, the high shoulder, the tapered bottom or the low, raked roofline – “but it all colludes magnificently”. Add the F-type-cloned rear lights and you wonder how designers managed to combine “all this curviness” with the great load space created by its “rectangular crypt” of a boot.
Auto Express
In its 2.0 petrol guise, the Sportbrake has a 247bhp engine giving a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds. It’s a “good-looking, practical, sweet-driving estate car”, with a rear-drive chassis that is fundamentally excellent. The steering is especially sharp, and it never feels “anything other than crisp” on the move. The front seats are outstandingly comfortable, while the optional panoramic roof looks “great”.