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Jaguar's second generation XF Sportbrake aimed to offer a refreshing alternative to the usual choices when it came to large executive estates - primarily cars like BMW 5 Series, the Mercedes E-Class Estate and the Audi A6 Avant. In taking on these rivals, this MK2 model Sportbrake aimed to tempt buyers with low-slung looks and a package that was refined, efficient, charismatic - and very usable too. There's a 565-litre boot, it can tow up to two tonnes and there's the option of AWD if you need it. Still want that F-PACE?
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History
You don't tend to associate Jaguar with estate cars, which if you think about it is a little strange because the British have always liked them. At the moment though, our market seems to like the idea of SUVs even more. So is there still a place - in this case in the full-sized Executive sector - for conventional station wagon motoring? Jaguar thinks there is, delivering us this, the second generation version of their XF Sportbrake.
We'll deal with the name first, an amalgamation of 'sportscar' and 'Shooting Brake', a term that gentrified folk have traditionally used to designate more stylised estate cars. This is certainly one of those. Indeed, with its low-raked roof line and emotive F-TYPE sporting cues, it stakes a claim as one of the best looking models that Jaguar makes.
First time round with the XF, it took over four years of production before Jaguar got around to making a Sportbrake estate variant - in 2012. With the second generation 'XF260'-series XF design, introduced as a saloon in 2015, things moved a bit quicker, this MK2 XF Sportbrake hitting the showrooms in the Summer of 2017. Which was a year after Jaguar had launched the car that went on to account for almost 40% of its total sales, the F-PACE mid-sized SUV. This XF Sportbrake was priced and powered very similarly to that model, but was a much rarer sight on the roads.
For some potential buyers though, it might conceivably be a better fit than an F-PACE - indeed a better fit than any premium mid-sized SUV, thanks to sharper handling and slightly better levels of running cost efficiency. Mind you, that was also the argument all of this Sportbrake model's direct large Executive estate competitors used - cars like BMW's 5 Series Touring and the Mercedes E-Class estate, both of which by 2017 had been recently much improved, partly in order to counter the threat posed by Audi's fifth generation A6 Avant. This Jaguar needed to be very good indeed to stay with opposition of this calibre, hence this MK2 model's provision of slightly more load space, more frugal 'Ingenium'-series engines and some genuinely clever lifestyle touches. There was a mid-term update in 2020. And a final light update in 2024 to last the car until Jaguar pulled out of the UK market at the end of 2024.
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What you get
If style is your sole determining factor in choosing a full-sized executive estate, then it's hard, we'd suggest, to look beyond this one. Designer Wayne Burgess was a part-time rock musician who would probably use this XF's extra capacity for sound equipment. He certainly seems to have been someone unafraid to go against station wagon convention in designing a car of this kind. It might be a touch ridiculous to add sportscar touches to the equivalent practically-orientated models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes or Volvo. But this Sportbake's fast, sweeping silhouette is different and more dynamic, making its F-TYPE-inspired rear end treatment somehow entirely fitting.
A seat in the front of an XF has always been a special experience. If you ever tried the first generation model, what you'll probably remember most is the way the start-up sequence brought the car to life as the rotary gear selector rose up from the centre console and the air vents rotated into position. In creating this 'XF260'-series second generation model, the brief was to retain a real sense of occasion but mature and simplify the design language a little. So there was a classier, more modern look as Jaguar's designers sought to find more interesting and contemporary ways to say 'luxury': largely, their efforts worked. The rising circular gear selector remained on automatic models: so did the cartwheeling air vents, though they were reduced in number and thrown to the edges of the cabin, with the centre of the fascia freed up for the 10.2-inch 'InControl Touch Pro' infotainment system.
Get settled and as you look around, the height of the waistline and the centre console gives the safe, driver-focused feeling of being sat in the beautifully supportive leather seat, rather than on it. At the same time, the strong horizontal theme of the instrument panel, the layering of it and the materials used for each layer creates the kind of rich, luxurious, hand-crafted ambience you just don't get in this car's Teutonic rivals. Just one example of that is what Jaguar called the 'Riva Hoop' (named after the famous powerboat), a veneered strip that sweeps from the doors right round behind a dashboard that on plusher models can be coated with exquisite stitched leather.
The previous model really had no more room on the back seat than you'd have got from a car in the next class down. Even with this MK2 design, three adults will still need to be on personable terms, but two will be very comfortable indeed.
The XF saloon gives you a 540-litre trunk, so if you go for this Sportbrake estate body style, you might reasonably be expecting the capacity to be quite a lot larger. Actually, the figure is 565-litres, though the space available is squarer and more usable than a conventional boot area would be. If you need more room but still need to carry a couple of rear-seated passengers, you'll be pleased to see that the rear bench has a central split so that long items like skis can be poked through.
If you do need to flatten everything then you can use the discreet levers positioned inside the flush cargo side panels (or controls on the seat backs themselves), all of which frees up 1,700-litres of completely flat loading space.
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What to look for
Most XF Sportbrake owners in our survey seemed very satisfied, but we did come across a few issues. Most of the common issues relate to timing chain wear on the 2.0-litre diesel engines, electrical problems from weak batteries or coolant leaks.
Some owners experienced a howling sound from the 8-speed auto gearbox (caused by oil pipes rubbing near the subframe). And the anti-roll bushes on the suspension wear out quickly, evidenced by a knocking sound over bumps that you'll need to look out for on the test drive. The complicated electrical system is extremely sensitive to low battery voltage and if there's a weak battery, the car will exhibit all kinds of dashboard errors, digital dashboard black-outs and gearbox selector problems. Check the infotainment system (which on earlier versions was prone to freeze); the later Pivi Pro set-up was better.
Check the estate area for scuffs and scrapes. Look out for scuffed alloy wheels that could be pricey to fix. And, obviously, insist on a fully stamped-up service record.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2.0d) Front brake pads are around £35-£105; rear brake pads vary between £25 and £75. A genuine oil filter is around £18-£26. An alternator is in the £175-£360 bracket. A starter motor is in the £125-£310 bracket. A genuine air filter is around £35-£40.
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On the road
Like BMW, Jaguar thinks that a large estate model like this requires the addition of self-levelling rear air suspension - but that wasn't the only change the company's engineers made in creating this Sportbrake estate body style from the existing saloon. The steering got a faster ratio and there were special front dampers with a clever by-pass valve system. In more dynamic motoring, the valve shuts to stiffen the damper settings and sharpen handling responses. That's to try and compensate for the small dilution in the agility brought about by a weight increase for this station wagon that can be as much as around 70kgs. Otherwise, the engineering spec of this car is virtually the same as that you'll find in an XF saloon from the 2017-2024 period. Which means that most MK2 Sportbrake buyers will be selecting between the same 'Ingenium'-branded range of 2.0-litre petrol and diesel units. It also means that the XF estate can deliver the attribute that most draws us towards its saloon showroom stablemate - a beautifully judged ride and handling balance
On to engines - and our need to tell you more about the Ingenium four cylinder 2.0-litre units we referred to earlier. Things kick off with the 163 and 180PS diesel variants, these the only powerplants in the range you'll be able to mate with manual transmission, though almost nobody does. Instead, XF Sportbrake buyers prefer the ZF eight-speed auto that's used across the range and which delivers the smooth, seamless changes that better suit this Jaguar's elegant character. Twist the gear selector to 'S' for a more dynamic demeanour (or take charge of the changes yourself via the provided steering wheel paddles) and rest to 60mph in the base 163PS auto model occupies 8.8s en route to 132mph, figures the 180PS variant improves to 8.1s and 136mph. If you can stretch to the twin turbo 240PS diesel AWD model, you're looking at 6.7s and 150mph. Beyond that lies only the V6 3.0-litre diesel, which comes only with rear wheel drive, offering 300PS and a potent 700Nm of torque. That's enough to power it to 60mph in 6.1s on the way to a top speed of 155mph. And, if you need it, there's a towing capacity of up to 2,000kgs.
But perhaps, given the current eco-climate, you'd prefer petrol power? If so, your options come only with auto transmission, kicking off with a 250PS variant capable of 62mph in 6.5s en route to 152mph. Ideally though, you'd want the 300PS unit borrowed from Jaguar's F-TYPE sportscar, which is fitted out with AWD and makes 62mph in 6.7s en route to 155mph.
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Overall
This lighter, more spacious, better-looking and much more efficient second generation Sportbrake was a considerably more competitive segment proposition than its predecessor. And the provision of optional AWD on this MK2 model might even sway some undecided F-PACE buyers its way. Like its saloon stablemate, it's involving to drive, beautifully quiet and lovely to ride in. All of this you realise after a little time behind the wheel. On paper, this car's Teutonic rivals might initially seem more impressive. But it's easy to be impressed by something without necessarily liking it very much.
An XF might not have the last enth of efficiency you'd find in a rival A6 or 5 Series from this era. But for a small but select band of buyers, it might be the car they'd rather have on their driveways. Especially, we'd suggest, if it comes as a Sportback.
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