The Jaguar estate returns as the Sportbrake. But does it enhance the XF's appeal?
This has been a long time coming. Jaguar introduced the XF in 2008 – and fantastically good it was, and remains. But the range has expanded with all the pace of a blimp filled with a foot pump. It took until the facelift last year for Jaguar to introduce a small four-cylinder diesel engine of the type that is the staple of all of its rivals’ ranges.And it has taken until now, a full four and a half years since XF deliveries started, for this, the Sportbrake, to arrive – which comes at the same time as another minor mid-life refresh of the car.Still, now it’s here, with a range that mirrors the diesel line-up in the XF saloon. You can have 161bhp or 197bhp variants of the 2.2-litre four-pot diesel, or the 3.0-litre V6 diesel in 237bhp or 271bhp form. All are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission but, reflecting the fleet-oriented market for cars like these, there are no petrol Sportbrake variants around. Not even an XFR.Instead, the major XF Sportbrake action will be at the other end of the performance scale. It starts from £31,940 in its cheapest form. Our test car demands rather more: it is a £51,505 3.0D S Portfolio.
The Jaguar estate returns as the Sportbrake. But does it enhance the XF's appeal?
This has been a long time coming. Jaguar introduced the XF in 2008 – and fantastically good it was, and remains. But the range has expanded with all the pace of a blimp filled with a foot pump. It took until the facelift last year for Jaguar to introduce a small four-cylinder diesel engine of the type that is the staple of all of its rivals’ ranges.And it has taken until now, a full four and a half years since XF deliveries started, for this, the Sportbrake, to arrive – which comes at the same time as another minor mid-life refresh of the car.Still, now it’s here, with a range that mirrors the diesel line-up in the XF saloon. You can have 161bhp or 197bhp variants of the 2.2-litre four-pot diesel, or the 3.0-litre V6 diesel in 237bhp or 271bhp form. All are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission but, reflecting the fleet-oriented market for cars like these, there are no petrol Sportbrake variants around. Not even an XFR.Instead, the major XF Sportbrake action will be at the other end of the performance scale. It starts from £31,940 in its cheapest form. Our test car demands rather more: it is a £51,505 3.0D S Portfolio.