ROAD TEST: Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2.2D 200 Sport.

Jaguar describes the XF Sportbrake as a car with the versatility of an estate car, the spirit of a sports car and the craftsmanship of a luxury saloon. We will try to explain what it feels like to drive and own this new British estate. We drove the 2.2-litre diesel with 200bhp in Sport trim.

EXTERIOR: We collected our test car from the Jaguar dealership where we got explained in detail the features of the Sport trim. In true honesty the XF looks better on big wheels and our Sportbrake came with upgraded 19-inch alloy wheels and extensive body kit with deeper front bumper louvre and a sporty black front grille. The additional volume at the back moulds seamlessly with the already sleek shape of the XF saloon. Some estate cars look like the extension of their saloon sibling and have an heavy rear design but the XF Sportbrake is clearly a triumph of style and proud to be "the British Luxury estate".

INTERIOR: Very few car manufacturers can make interiors as special as the latest Jaguars. There is a lot of chrome inside the XF and our Sport trimmed test car came with the Piano Black centre dashboard. The chrome detailing extends to the steering wheels buttons and indicators/wipers stalks making the interior a very luxurious place to be. As the engine starts, the air vents rotate open and the rotary gear selector raises from the centre console in a choreographic way. The interior is illuminated in a soft blue ambience light and there is a sense of well being whilst driving the XF, the mixture of different materials is superb and very classy.

DRIVING: The XF saloon has been always praised for its excellent road manners and the Sportbrake is no exception. We initially thought that the estate version would lose a bit of the dynamic sparkle of the saloon but we couldn't be more wrong as we put the car through the test of a twisty country lane. The chassis is as excellent as the XF saloon and the Sportbrake fells agile and very composed. The 2.2-litre diesel engine is a fine cruiser helped along by the smooth changes of its excellent automatic gearbox. This 200bhp engine has also a brisk side and it can dispatch the XF Sportbrake from 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds although it gets a bit more audible when worked hard. Official fuel consumption is 55mpg and we easily achieved a remarkable real-world 46mpg.

PRICES: The XF Sportbrake 2.2-litre with 200bhp in Sport trim is available at £37,440. Our car came in a Stratus Grey Metallic paintwork which wasn't far from black and suited the elegant shape of this luxury estate. The Sport trim has half-leather/suede electric seats and a good array of kit such as Cruise Control, Bluetooth connectivity, Satellite Navigation, Powered Bootlid and one of the best interiors in the market. This car is available on a variety of finance packages with a representative APR of 4.9%.

VERDICT: We really like the XF Sportbrake with its sleek body and brilliant road manners. The interior is impressive although the plastics around the interior map reading lights appeared of inferior quality. The XF Sportbrake is not as practical as some of its rivals but it's a classy alternative to the BMW 5-series Touring and a true British product. The XF range includes also a 163bhp version of this engine, a 3.0-litre V6 diesel with 240bhp or 275bhp and some awesome trim levels like the Portfolio but this 200bhp diesel in Sport trim represents a good engine/trim combination. MG

Our car was provide by the courteous team at Stratstone Jaguar in Newcastle upon Tyne.