With the XF sportbrake, jaguar has a large family station wagon on offer – for fans of something special.
In theory, this car seems to be an ideal getaway car: fast to very fast like any current jaguar, and it also has a large trunk to stow away booty. Practical but you have to be patient a little moment with the drive off. Because when you start the engine, the flush-mounted, hand-flattering rotary knob that controls the automatic first comes out of the center tunnel. A nice detail, but you wouldn’t want to know how much it would cost to repair it, if it were ever due. Also the outer air vents are electrically turned into position at startup. In case anyone didn’t know that a jaguar is something special.
This one is actually something very special: a station wagon. A station wagon, from jaguar? Geez, several people had said before, apparently sensing sacrilege. the brits have been selling a – visually not exactly world-beating – estate version of the X-type since 2004. And the current XF sportbrake also has a direct, even quite chic predecessor.
The proportions and lines of the new car are so harmonious that it is a joy to drive even before you get in. The question is whether the joy lasts when the knob is turned to D. The test drive feels good: the driver sits low but comfortably and has a passable view of the instruments and surroundings, except for the A-pillar, which is also bollard-thick in this car. And for maneuvering, the front and rear cameras are hardly dispensable. The huge glass roof extends over the rear seats, giving the test car’s fine interior – black leather with red applications and stitching, one of several possible combinations – a friendly daylight glow. There is neither wood nor excessive chrome, but the perceived quality of the materials is convincing down to the last detail. The fact that neither the glove compartment nor the doors are large enough for A4 format is no drama after the extinction of road atlases, but nevertheless a bit annoying.
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The 20-inch rims are a bit of a show-off
The 250 hp two-liter gasoline engine developed by jaguar in the first test car is sufficient for all situations and can only be heard when accelerating, although the eight-speed automatic sometimes does not shift smoothly (and downshifts too early on inclines). Since wind noise is also minimal, this jaguar would be wonderfully quiet if it didn’t come with 20-inch rims, which, when viewed soberly, are just showing off: the rolling noise is joined by the hard feel of the low-profile tires, which can be almost painful on transverse joints, for example on bridges.
Despite its 1.7 tons, the jaguar can be driven sportily, although fuel consumption is closer to ten liters instead of the claimed 6.8 liters. The two-liter diesel with 240 hp available for another test lap is very similar to the gasoline engine – especially since its noise is also excellently muffled. Subjectively, the automatic shifts quite smoothly on the diesel, and the test consumption of about seven liters is not that far away from the 5.8 that the manufacturer specifies. The 300-hp, three-liter diesel version is objectively powerful and subjectively almost overpowered. This may also be due to the fact that the large diesel, of all models, is not available with all-wheel drive, so that the rear wheels sometimes scrape when the throttle is very high. And its test fuel consumption does not drop below seven liters, even at very leisurely speeds. Should you buy a diesel at all?? You can, say the jaguar people: the exhaust gas cleaning system is of the highest quality.
The usual driving assistants are of course on board, but the XF doesn’t have anything groundbreaking to offer. It is difficult per se to test the saviors without necessity, but it can be said at least about lane assist that it only reliably registers fresh lane markings. And the traffic sign recognition sometimes sees irrelevant signs, such as a speed limit at the beginning of a highway exit. These are then reflected in the head-up display as a reminder.
An alternative to the BMW 5 series and the audi A6
But there was something else: the combi rear! The way there is through the second row, with its well-contoured seats that are also large enough for adults. Behind the split rear seat is a trunk with a generous 565 liters, but with an exterior length of almost five meters, this is no sensation. An ingenious lashing mechanism on two stainless steel rails helps secure the load, which can be as big as a mattress thanks to the stepless floor with the rear seat folded down. Thanks to standard rear axle leveling, even heavy loads don’t force the rear end to its knees. Only a forwarding agency for white goods should not be operated with the jaguar because of the relatively flat rear window and the roof lining that slopes down to the sides in the shape of an arc.
All in all, the XF sportbrake is a nice alternative for people who don’t want to drive a 5 series touring or an A6 avant, even though they could. the price list starts at 43.960 euros and ends up almost double that with all the extras in the top version – i.e. within the usual price range for this class of car. This includes a 2500 euro combined surcharge each. While 70 percent of the previous model was sold as a sedan, station wagons are expected to make up the majority of sales of the new XF. Nevertheless, it will probably not be a global car, at least not in germany: in 2016, when there were no station wagons, jaguar sold around 1,500 XF sedans in germany. Compared to the registration figures of the german competition, this is almost homeopathy.
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