Motoring
JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE To you and me it’s an estate car, to Jaguar’s marketeers it’s a Sportbrake. Whatever you choose to call it, it’s an exceptional drive for the price, writes Bob Hickman rom the front, the XF Sportbrake is pretty much identical to the saloon it is based on. The difference is at the rear, where the designers have excelled in creating a shape that befits the sleek, stylish Jaguar brand. Inside, high windows and wrap-around dashboard give the feel of a sporty derivative, yet the cabin seems to cocoon you. Some might find it a little claustrophobic, but for me it the XF provides
Verdict: a sensational driving experience
an extremely pleasant driving environment. The seats offer good support and are easily adjusted. The bulk of the controls are contained either within the steering wheel or the 8in colour touchscreen; the infotainment system is a marked improvement. The rear seat is a 40/20/40 split and drops to give an impressive load capacity. The rear is on the low side, but does make it easier if you’re transporting something awkward like a golf trolley or all-terrain pushchair. The driving dynamics of the Sportbrake are sensational: positive, quick and responsive. As I’ve mentioned before, ex-Jaguar designer Ian Callan once told me the only time you should know you’re in an estate is when you look over your shoulder
at the acres of room, and this was the case with the Sportbrake. The two-litre test car produced a maximum 204bhp, sufficient to give a top speed of 143mph and a 0-60 gallop in 7.5 seconds. The combined mpg was astounding at 49.5mpg, and on a lengthy run to Wales followed by a lot of around town driving I actually eclipsed this, achieving 50.4mpg, exceptional for a vehicle of this size. The Sportbrake comes with all the “The standard features Bob is a devoted car and combined you’d expect for this motorcycle fan. After mpg was market: DAB radio, a 30-year career as a satnav, dual climate astounding police motorcycle patrol control, heated front officer and latterly as a at 49.5… sergeant, patrolling the seats, cruise control, I actually motorways of the Midlands, leather upholstery. eclipsed this” retirement beckoned and The list of extras he embarked on writing is extensive, some about his love of transport. novel and possibly even useful: a lockable cool glove Bob is a member of the box, for example. Keyless entry at £625 I thought Guild of Motor Writers and excessive, and heated memory door mirrors at £400 the Midland Guild of Motor are fun but hardly essential. I can certainly live Writers. In his spare time he rides a Royal Enfield without the 19in, seven-spoke wheels at £800. Continental GT and drives The basic D200 has an on-the-road price of a 1994 MG RV8. £37,415; a plethora of extras bumped up the price of the test vehicle to £43,320. All in all, it’s • MODEL TESTED: XF SPORTBRAKE D200 phenomenal R-DYNAMIC S AWD value for a vehicle • PRICE: £37,415 that looks the • ENGINE: 1997 CC 4-CYLINDER PETROL part, drives the • MAX SPEED: 143MPH part and would • 0-60MPH: 7.5 SECONDS be a pleasure to display on your drive. FACTS AT A GLANCE
F
March/April 2022 | SHIRE MAGAZINE 111
