What is it?
There's a view that that estate cars are a bit beside the point these days. The world has turned to SUVs, goes the story, and from them to crossovers.
Don’t believe it. In many cases, family-sized saloons are outsold by their estate offshoots, and even the Sportbrake tested here accounts for one-third of all of the Jaguar XF’s (admittedly modest) sales across Europe.
There’s a particular kind of buyer that responds to the logic of an estate: a more practical derivative that weighs only a smidge more than its sibling (75kg in this case), has no extra frontal area and at times can even be more aerodynamic, thanks to the simplicity of its extended rear shape. More load for no more fuel.
In this case, the load capacity is a generous 565 litres, expanding to 1700 litres when the rear seats are folded down. There’s a wide, flat floor that gives away surprisingly little except roof height to an SUV, while maintaining the low centre of gravity that will almost always make it by nature a better handler and a more economical option than an SUV.
In fact, that combination of practicality, performance and good driving characteristics seems to be very much the point of our test car, which is powered by Jaguar Land Rover's middle- ranking Ingenium 2.0-litre four- cylinder turbo petrol engine, making 247bhp and driving via a regular eight-speed automatic gearbox.
In R-Dynamic SE guise, the XF Sportbrake gets all manner of sporty decor, rides on 19in black alloys and has a selector that juggles engine and transmission parameters to provide a Sport and Economy regime either side of Comfort. Sure, this is a car ideally configured for toting the family and gear on holiday, but it can deliver driving enjoyment, too.
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JLR will be all electrric by 2025? OK, possibly...
What happens to the value of such a vehicle bought in 2023/4, say? If it is still made?
Come to that, what of its value by 2030 when it is not that old, yet consigned to the scrapyard?
Some cynics might even claim that these vehicles would never last this long: perish the thought! Cads, knaves and bounders!
Good luck with the project: it looks very nice!
The value of this car won't be affected by future strategies, any more than it would be affected by a successor model! In fact, if it were to be one of the last i.c.e. Jaguars then it would hold value better for those who don't want to go fully-electric... It'll certainly be a great buy in any event.
Mmmm... Not sure! Look how long it took for MK IIs to become 'collectors'?
As for many of other Jaguar products -barring the immortal E-Type- they have quietly rusted away and all but disappeared from view. This is an unfortunate truth: just look through the 'For sale' columns of up-market publications?
I respect your optimism but do not share it.
Have a Happy Easter!
£20,000 less than the Discovery Sport that Autocar have on long-term test!? I know where my money would go!