Estate cars are not exciting. That's what we're bred to believe from an early age, right? They're for boring, middle-aged people with two kids, one dog and zero joie de vivre.
Fortunately, times have changed. And so have estate cars.
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The latest Jaguar XF Sportbrake is a perfect example. As a saloon, the XF has won just about every award that's available. So the expectations for the new estate were always going to be high. If the launch is anything to go by, it looks like Jaguar will live up to them.
Aesthetically, the Sportbrake is a seamless conversion from the XF saloon – but with the estate rear end. What really caught our eye, though, was the way you open said boot.
Imagine your hands full of shopping, your phone ringing and your kids screaming for one more LEGO card. Well, the Jag can't look after the kids, but sweep your foot beneath the rear right bumper and it will automatically open for you, so you can dump in your bags – and your kids, if you so wish. It’s called ‘gesture control’ – and it is extremely cool. The same tech is used for opening the 1.6 sq m panoramic roof.
It also has self-levelling rear air suspension, which means you can fill up the boot with up to two tonnes of stuff without the back even dropping one millimetre towards the floor.
The current range-topping 300PS 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine will let you hit 60mph in 6.1 seconds. And no doubt there will be an even more punchy R version down the line.
And thanks to its Aluminium-intensive architecture and a relatively light kerb weight of 1,660kg, it should feel pretty quick around the corners to boot.
Either way, there’s no doubting this new launch is more 'sport' than 'brake'.
XF Sportbrake is available to order now, priced from £34,910
