The Northern Echo:

On the road: I DEFY anyone not to take one look at the big Jaguar and be bowled over. Its designers say they aimed to create a sense of “drama and elegance” and they certainly didn’t disappoint. The estate car has had it tough following the emergence of the crossover, but if anything was likely to make you think twice, this is it. Available only in diesel form, our test car had an entry level 2.2 litre unit beneath the bonnet which puts out 161bhp and 295lb/ft of torque. It is admittedly a little noisy on start up, but once underway becomes refined and impressively hushed. Allied to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, it is more than capable of coping with day to day driving. However, if you want to really exploit the car’s sporty characteristics you might want to consider the larger 3.0 litre V6s.

The drive offered by the Sportbrake is simply superb and if you didn’t know better, you’d swear you were behind the wheel of a coupe or sporty saloon. At no stage does the Jag feel heavy or hindered by its length. The steering can feel a little stiff at low speeds, but pick up the pace and it transmits all the information you want if being an involved driver is your thing. Although essentially a luxury load-lugger, the XF is also fun to drive and you can really commit it on twisting and turning roads with the knowlege that it won’t let you down.

On the inside: THE Jag’s interior impresses as soon as you activate the push-button start. Out of the centre console rises the gear change dial - it’s pure theatre, but a nice touch nonetheless. Similarly, when you switch on the air conditioning, the vents roll backwards out of view. Neither of these things make the driving experience any better than any of their rivals, but they make the whole thing seem that little bit special. There are other nice touches, such as the metallic finish to the dash surround and the suede-effect roof lining. It’s easy to get comfortable thanks to the wide range of positions available in the electrically adjustable front seats. One problem we did find, and more due to our stature than anything, was that the doors were heavy and opened so wide that closing them proved difficult at times.

What do you get: GIVEN the starting price of the car, a little over £30,000, I was hugely impressed with what came as standard. In addition to the materials mentioned previously, our car, before options, comes with Xenon headlights, parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, powered tailgate, 17ins alloys, leather trim, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, DAB radio, satellite navigation and a thumping 250 watt sound system. Take a breath and we’ll continue with JaguarDrive control with sport and winter modes; cruise control; pedestrian contact system; cornering brake control and dynamic stability control. The options list is similarly extensive, but while nice if you have the cash I’d only really champion the reversing camera which, with a car of this size, is a huge boon when it comes to negotiating supermarket car parks.

How practical is it: THERE’S plenty of room up front and three can be carried in the rear, although the middle seat occupant is compromised by the transmission tunnel. The boot is as smart as the rest of the interior and has 550 litres of space with the seats up and 1,675 litres with them down. The boot also features a floor rail system allowing for netting and retaining bars to create separate storage areas. There’s also a hidden compartment beneath the centre of boot floor. The only criticism is that the sloping design of the roof means you may find carrying some bulky items compromised.

Running costs: JAGUAR has really thought long and hard about pricing and despite it’s premium appearance it compares well when put up against its rivals. I wouldn’t envisage reliability to be an issue and the build quality is more than up to standard, albeit we only spent seven days with the car. Jaguar’s statistics say you should get 55.4mpg on the combined cycle - however, we only managed 41mpg. CO2 emissions come in at 139g/km.

Verdict: Eye-catching with more than an air of luxury, the Sportbrake lives up to its name in the driving stakes too. Add in that competitive price tag and it provides both a tempting alternative to estate rivals and crossovers.

Alternatives: BMW 5-Series Touring, Audi A6.