One look at the elongated roofline of the Jaguar XF Sportbrake wagon tells you this is a midsizer which competes with the Mercedes E-Class wagon and the Volvo V90.
The XF Sportbrake is considerably larger than the E-Pace SUV. The new wagon measures 116.5 inches in wheelbase, 195 in overall length, 78.2 wide and 58.9 high, with curb weight of 4,145 pounds, a bit lighter than E-Pace.
It has a sloping hood, the long roof and raked rear glass. Staying with its sleek image, the Sportbrake runs on low-profile 35s – Pirelli Cinturato 255/35R20 tires.
Wagons have long been popular in Europe; not so here, though the new Sportbrake and V90 with AWD might lure a few SUV devotees. Jaguar’s last wagon before the Sportbrake was the X-Type, which ended production in 2009.
Performance is a highlight from the Sportbrake’s 380-horsepower, supercharged, 3.0-liter V-6 engine, 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Drive-mode selection allows the driver to adapt from normal response to dynamic or economical or adapt to what is being faced in the way of surface conditions. The shifter is a twist dial on the center console.
This car does have a spare, though the wheel is bright orange hidden beneath the cargo floor and it will not match up with the fancy wheels and red brake calipers of original equipment, i.e. get the flat fixed quickly.
Inside the big Jag are white leather seats with black inserts, panoramic roof and motorized covers for closing the dashboard air vents. Cargo space behind the rear seat is a roomy 31.7 cubic feet.
This classy-looking wagon with its power and amenities doesn’t come in the cheaper category of the E-Pace. Sticker on the Sportbrake jumped to $84,245 from a base of $70,450.
Adding $3,495 was a driver-assistance package of adaptive cruise control and speed limiter, 360-degree parking aid, surround camera, blind-spot and park assist. Adding another $3,285 were navigation, Meridian surround sound and interactive driver display. For $2,890 came the four-zone climate control, suedecloth premium headliner, ambient lighting and rear sunblind. That left $1,805 for the heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats and soft door-close.
I averaged 22 miles per gallon of premium fuel with the XF Sportbrake, close to the middle of its EPA estimate of 18/25.