MOTORING
Braking NEW GROUND
It’s taken a long time to get here but after driving the Jaguar XF Sportbrake, Matthew Carter reckons it’s been worth the wait
Big estates (I’m talking cars here, not family seats) are hugely popular, not just in the UK but right across Europe, so perhaps the biggest surprise about the new Jaguar XF Sportbrake is the length of time it’s taken to get here. After all, the XF saloon was released to great acclaim nearly five years ago but at that point an estate version wasn’t in the planned product lifecycle. The reasons? A couple spring to mind: Jag has no estate heritage – until the X-type wagon, they’d never produced a load-lugger – and, er, had no money. That Jaguar has been able to put right this omission, however, in a comparatively short time frame is testament to Jag’s ability to move quickly and its now healthy balance sheet. For while the motor industry in general is suffering in the current economic climate – and French car makers, in particular, are on their knees – Indian-owned JLR (Jaguar and its Land Rover stablemate) is booming. Bold expansion plans for Jaguar include a raft of new models, including a 3-series rival and a Porsche Cayenne-rivalling SUV, while the F-type sports car will be on the market next year. But first here’s the Sportbrake, targeting the lucrative premium estate market which, until now, has been the domain of the German firms. Going head to head with cars like the M-B E-class, BMW 5 Series and Audi Avant is not for the faint-hearted. Is the Jag is up to the task? Bearing in mind it was something of an
afterthought, the design seems remarkably coherent, with the higher, longer roofline adding an elegant presence to the saloon. Part of that is down to the dramatic swoop of the rear end; in truth, this is more fastback than estate and the Sportbrake is not the largest load carrier in the class. The elevated roofline and larger glasshouse around the rear do, however, make the rear seats a more pleasant place to be. There’s more headroom and an airy feeling lacking from the back seats of the saloon. In terms of load space, with the back seats in place, the Sportbrake has no more luggage room than the saloon. Fold the seats flat, however, and the Sportbrake comes into its own with a long load floor that’s beautifully finished and practical, too. Standard kit includes a powered tailgate and beautifully crafted rail fixing system to prevent luggage from sliding all over the place. OK, so it’s not as big as the Merc but it is at least as good as the equivalent BMW and Audi. If there’s a downside to all that extra metal overhead, though, it’s the weight. The Sportbrake is notably heavier than the saloon and that makes engine choice all the more critical. If you want a Jag wagon, you’ll have to opt for a diesel as there’s no petrol offering – the theory is that most will be bought with company money and that means diesel is the only sensible choice when it comes to benefit in kind, tax and so on. Like the saloon there are three diesels on offer, two powered
Expansion plans include a raft of new models, including a 3-series rival, an SUV and F-type sports car
the KENSINGTON & CHELSEA magazine
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