START-UP ADVICE

SPEND IT CARS
JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE R-SPORT
T
noise too. A refined car that’s perfectly
suited for passengers and driver to
arrive unscathed after even the longest
journeys.
hose who frequently dash from
their city pad to country house
with all sorts of items to ferry,
an estate is of course handy
to have. And, if this happens
to be stylish, frugal and great
to drive too, that’s got to be a welcome
bonus.
Jaguar’s XF Sportbrake is a handsome
car and is refreshingly unlike many
estates that look as though the designer
gave up after the saloon. Opt for the
Premium Luxury spec on the 2.2-litre
197bhp S as tested and you’ll get 19
inch alloys, ‘S’ badges and a tasteful
body kit.
Inside too, it’s luxurious, really well
crafted, with numerous attractive
design flourishes including Jaguar’s
signature cool blue lighting. Comfortable
to a fault, the cabin is exceptionally
spacious, the leather seats supportive
yet soft, there’s acres of head, shoulder
and leg room and excellent visibility
- and barely any wind, road or engine
On test, the diesel which is coupled
with Jaguar’s acclaimed silky smooth
8-speed auto box proved both spritely
and economical. Official figures say it
manages 0-62mph in 8.2, and returns
55.4mpg while emitting a respectable
135g/km of CO2. Agile for its size with
a just-right ride, it may lack the out and
out performance of X-Type and XFR-S
variants but is pretty
engaging nevertheless.
If speed is your
thing, then opt for
the R-S Sportbrake,
which amps things
up a notch - boasting
0-62mph in 4.8
seconds, and offering
sharper handling
thanks to chassis
upgrades and stiffer
springs.
If you’re buying an estate then space
must be king. The Sportbrake offers
a generous 550-litres of boot space
seats up, and an enormous 1,675 when
down – enough to enable you to easily
carry most items you could want, For
long items you could make the most
of the 60:40 split rear bench which can
be folded flat. The tailgate is electrically
operated and there are rails on the
boot floor enabling you to fasten items
securely. A premium stylish, economi-