Suited and booted Jaghasitall

Jaguar shows there is an alternative to the German big three, writes Matt Allan

Jaguar might make most of its money these days from SUVs but the brand has long been associated with saloons and continues to produce several, including the wonderful XF.

But not everyone appreciates the lack of flexibility that comes with a saloon so, sensibly, Jaguar also offer an estate - or Sportbrake - version of the XF.

In saloon form the XF is a handsome machine and by adding an estate body, Jag have created something even better looking, with an unfussy style that’ s refreshing in the chrome encrusted face of German rivals.

But looks only get you so far. Jaguar is all about sporty luxury and the estate needs to match the saloon’s sharp on-road manners to justify its existence.

Like the saloon, the Sportbrake can be ordered with two-wheel-drive and a manual gearbox but we tested two of the most powerful engines, which come with automatics and, in one case, four-wheel drive.

Features such as its aluminium-intensive bodywork and a polymer tailgate help give the Sportbrake 50:50 weight distribution and the suspension (self-levelling as standard), stability and traction control systems are setup to offer a rear-drive bias.

Pressing on, the XF’s dynamism is evident. It manages to feel smaller than it is as it flows around corners and there’s a sense of poise and purpose to the handling.

The Jag’s real skill, however, is in balancing this dynamic feel with the ability to cover distance sin refined comfort.

It’s just as capable of carrying five people across a country in hushed luxury as sprinting up a slippery mountainside. The smart suspension means rough roads don’t disturb passengers and the cabin is quiet, spacious and nicely finished.

Of course, being an estate there’s a focus on practicality. The 565 litres of boot space is roughly on a par with the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series but trails the 640-litre Mercedes E-Class. The space is wide and uninterrupted and there are user-friendly touches such as a gesture-controlled tailgate and automatically retracting luggage cover.

The 296bhp petrol engine in our first test car is a willing, smooth and quick unit but I’m still drawn to the engine in our second car - a 3.0-litre, twinturbo 296bhp V6 diesel.

It might be 0.4 seconds60 mph but with 516 lb/ ft of torque it doesn’t lack for grunt and the effortless mid-range pull of the engine makes for a more flexible-easy-going-motor.

Further down the range, there is a four-cylinder diesel in 161, 179 and 237bhp tunes and a four-cylinder petrol with 247bhp output so there’s an engine to suit most wallets.

Speaking of wallets, the XF Sportbrake starts at £37,390. Our four-wheel-drive petrol RSport cost £45,000 before options and the top-of-the-range rear-driven V6 diesel S £54,010 before the £12,000 of extras on ours.

Plenty of cars try to be a jack of all trade sand end up a master of none. Th eX F Sport brake, however, manages its balancing act far better than most. It has poise, accuracy and engagement when you want to press on but can cosset and comfort on long, dull drives. It’s also a practical and spacious family car with the optional reassurance of all-wheel-drive and, in TDV6 form, a cracking engine.