Jaguar XF Sportbrake (2017-2024) Review

If you enjoy driving, then the Jaguar XF Sportbrake is one of the most rewarding estate cars money can buy. It has quick and precise steering that lets you know exactly how much grip is available from the tyres. It handles with a level of agility almost unheard of in cars this size, yet also rides smoothly over bumps in the road.

Few rivals handle as sweetly, but it has some rather large drawbacks. The first is the coarse and laboured 2.0-litre diesel motor. It’s the most popular choice, but lacks the hushed refinement and efficiency of similar engines from competitors. It never feels as strong or responsive as its official figures would have you believe.

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake can still handle a wide range of load-lugging duties, and the boot can match most of its premium rivals. While those travelling in the back will welcome the spacious cabin and comfortable seats, it falls short on build quality. The updated infotainment system is a big improvement on later cars, but the majority of used examples will feature the much older system.

Buyers of large premium cars like the Jaguar XF Sportbrake expect a high standard of equipment from their cars. All versions come with leather upholstered seats, which are electrically adjustable and heated, all-round parking sensors, a touchscreen sat-nav and cruise control. 

We would plump for the Jaguar XF Sportbrake R-Dynamic SE model if you can, though, as this gets the digital instrument display instead of conventional analogue dials, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels and extra safety kit. Step up to the HSE version and you get the excellent 400W Meridian Sound System and adaptive cruise control.

Despite their subpar refinement, the four-cylinder diesel makes the most financial sense. The petrols are far too thirsty, and down on pulling power. 

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake goes toe-to-toe with the estate versions of the heavy-hitting German saloons. It comes out of the contest pretty bruised, too. The 5 Series Touring, Audi A6 Avant and E-Class Estate bring the full might of their respective companies to bear, with advanced onboard technology, mild-hybrid engines and superior quality.

While none of them are as sharp to drive as the Jaguar XF Sportbrake, we wouldn't blame buyers for picking one of these classy rivals instead. Purely based on their refinement, speed, and in the Mercedes' case, sheer load-lugging ability.

For anyone seeking comfort and chic styling, the Volvo V90 is softer, equally safe and just as well-equipped. It also (like the Audi and Mercedes) comes in a more rugged guise, with raised suspension and underbody protection to appeal to SUV buyers. These add light mud-plugging ability to the premium estate car recipe.

Still, if all you need is a practical estate with loads of toys, a top-spec Skoda Superb Estate is worth a look. It may not have the badge, but it features a stronger diesel engine, a sturdier cabin and a bigger boot than the XF. There's also the latest Volkswagen Passat and Ford Focus estate. 

It's worth noting that Jaguar no longer makes the XF Sportbrake. 

This is one area where modern Jaguars have traditionally struggled to pass muster, and although improved in the latest version, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake isn't quite able to match the high benchmarks set by the most luxurious big estates.

The major issue is the inconsistency of the materials used in the cabin. For every pleasingly stitched surface or smartly finished area, there is a loose feeling switch, creaking trim panel or hollow-sounding plastic mould.

Each time you encounter one of the above, it robs you of any trust in the solidity of the cabin's construction, and while it may prove as robust as anything from Audi, BMW or Mercedes, it simply doesn't feel as plush.

That's not to say the Jaguar XF Sportbrake's interior is an unmitigated disaster - far from it, in fact - the steering wheel and supportive leather seats do add a sense of theatre and opulence. You can fit traditional wood veneers across the range for a reasonable price, or choose a sportier gloss black or carbon-effect look.

However, problem areas like average-quality metal-effect trim are there to remind you that Jaguar spends a lot more of its budget honing the handling than it did improving the interior.

Original Jaguar XF Sportbrakes came with a choice of 8.0-inch and 10.0-inch touchscreens, the former being dropped partway through its lifespan, but even the larger of the two systems was second-best to the offerings from key rivals at BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Newer Jaguar XF Sportbrakes come with the upgraded Pivi Pro system with an 11.4-inch touchscreen, which is a big improvement. The gently curved screen sits neatly on the dashboard, is clear and easy to read and doesn't obscure your view out of the windscreen either, a common issue on cars with large touchscreens.

Even the basic version comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as native apps like Spotify, dual SIM connection and voice commands. It also has a dedicated power source, so it boots up faster when you get into the car and gives you weather updates based on your location and destination. As of 2022, Pivi Pro systems will also get Alexa connectivity so you can use voice commands for a variety of features.

Sound quality from the standard system is surprisingly good, with eight speakers pushing out 180W, but there were two optional Meridian stereos. The first has a punchy 400W output, but the 825W system boasts 16 speakers, a subwoofer and a 16-channel amplifier.

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake's dimensions are 4964mm in length, 1890mm in width and 1494mm in height, and it is the length that plays the biggest part in ensuring it offers a spacious cabin. 

In terms of raw numbers, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake's 565-litre capacity is bang-on for the class, bettering a Volvo V90, although for a truly cavernous loading bay, nothing can topple the 640-litre Mercedes E-Class from the same era. Fold down the rear seats using the handy triggers in the boot, and this expands to an impressive 1,700 litres.

What does that mean in everyday use, then? Well, firstly, you'll be struck by how cleverly designed the XF is. The tailgate swings open at the push of a button, and the luggage area is wide and flat, with a tiny load lip. You'll find numerous lashing points and aluminium rails for securing loose items, and the seats split 40/20/40.

This configuration gives you the ability to rearrange the interior to carry passengers and bulky loads together, or just flip the middle seat down to stow longer items like skis or fishing poles. Combine this with the massive boot aperture, and you'll be able to fit and carry an impressively wide range of cargo, despite the sleek looks.

Passengers in the rear of the Jaguar XF Sportbrake will have few complaints on long trips. The angle of the backrests means the seats give excellent thigh support, and there are several inches of fresh air between your knees and those in front. Headroom is equally generous, even with the optional glass roof fitted, so even taller teens should be comfy.

The two outer chairs have ISOFIX mounting points and top tethers for fitting child seats, and the doors open wide enough to allow easy access, even if you're manoeuvring a cumbersome rear-facing seat into position. Fitting three across the back is a rather tight squeeze, as it's a narrow perch with nowhere to put your feet.

There are a few decent spots for stashing bags of Haribo on a lengthy road trip, including map pockets in the front seat backs, a covered cubby in the centre console and a big glovebox, but the door pockets are a bit stingy. 

All diesel Jaguar XF Sportbrakes can tow a maximum of two tonnes, but we'd choose the four-wheel drive models for this task. Jaguar also charges quite a lot for a detachable tow bar including fitted - over £1,000 in fact, which is steep.

The original powertrain range of the Jaguar XF Sportbrake consisted of three 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesels and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel, plus two petrol options. Propping up the range was the 2.0d 163, which felt a bit underpowered, and will only appeal to buyers who need lower CO2.

The mid-range Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2.0d 180 offers the best blend of power and economy, even though it's still no fireball, while the punchiest 2.0-litre has 240PS and comes with all-wheel drive as standard. On paper, it sounds ideal, with loads of low-down grunt, but in practice, it lacks the pace you would expect, and is thirstier than the V6. That's a lovely option if you can stretch to it, but there will be limited supply on the used market.

Petrol options on pre-facelift models consisted of a single 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with rear-wheel drive and 250PS, or the same unit with a 300PS output and four-wheel drive. Word of warning though, neither feels as quick as those power outputs imply, with a significant drop in mid-range grunt compared to the diesels, and worse economy.

Newer Jaguar XF Sportbrakes had a 2.0-litre mild hybrid diesel with 204PS, and although it's no smoother than before, it's the best choice in the current lineup, with strong economy and enough performance to suit most needs.

As before, the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol can be had with 250PS or 300PS in the Jaguar XF Sportbrake 300 Sport version, but neither offers the all-round appeal of the diesel offering and will cost you more to run too.

Almost every model in the range comes fitted with a traditional eight-speed automatic transmission. The only exception is the entry-level diesel, which is offered with a six-speed manual. The former is the gearbox you want, though, improving refinement, straight-line performance and efficiency, and it's fairly responsive as well.

With such a sophisticated exterior and supple chassis, you would hope that the Jaguar XF Sportbrake could cocoon you from the world outside, making journeys of hundreds of miles pass by in a flash. 

The popular four-cylinder diesels are noisier travel companions. They sound agricultural at low revs, creating an unpleasant clatter on start-up, sending unwelcome vibrations into the cabin, and grow coarser if pushed. 

Drive the Jaguar XF Sportbrake in town, and the stop/start system constantly reminds you of its poor isolation, restarting with an unpleasant jolt and lumpen idle. Almost every rival diesel four-cylinder is quieter and less intrusive to use.

Picking a 2.0-litre petrol improves matters slightly, certainly at low speeds, but once you're on the motorway, the Sportbrake also generates more audible tyre roar on big alloys than its peers will, especially the Audi A6.

Wind noise is less noticeable, and the eight-speed automatic transmission fitted to most models is generally smooth, with barely perceptible shifts. It can occasionally hesitate when you want a quick burst of speed, and it seems to have been tuned to feel sporty, so it will sometimes kick down through several gears unnecessarily.

Most large estates from this era earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating. It doesn't mean that they're all equally safe, though, so allow us to rake through the finer points of difference.

Estate versions do not get tested separately to earn their own rating, but since they share identical safety features and crash structures, they share their test scores with the four-door cars, so they should prove secure.

The Jaguar XF got a great score for adult occupant protection (92%) and achieved well over 80% in the three other individual categories: child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist. Very impressive stuff.

So, what do you get included as standard? All Jaguar XF Sportbrakes come with traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, and auto emergency braking (AEB) which can sense any oncoming collisions, stopping the car if necessary. That's on top of cruise and traction control, six airbags, hazard lights that flash to warn other drivers if you brake heavily, and a hill launch assistant to get you moving again when you're stopped on a sharp incline.

It's also there to lend a hand with your low-speed manoeuvres. Every model gets all-round parking sensors, while all facelifted versions add a reversing camera, an option on older cars.

Of course, there was a whole heap of optional driving aids. These included surround view cameras and a self-parking assistant, but the biggest bundle was the Active Safety Pack. It was pricey, but it came with blind spot detection, a driver fatigue monitor, adaptive cruise control that can come to a complete standstill and set off again, and a system to alert you to passing cars when reversing into traffic.

There's some mixed news here. Jaguar, as a brand, came almost perfectly in the middle of the pack in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index when the XF Sportbrake was released; it came 16th out of 30 manufacturers. Today, Jaguar is 7th of 33 manufacturers in the latest Satisfaction Index. 

Less promising is that the Jaguar XF Sportbrake was one of the worst-performing cars of all, with a score of 8.72 for reliability and 8.22 out of 10 for cost of repairs. Even more damning is that this is a lower score than the previous generation XF (2008-2015) - but that car still made the bottom 10 cars for reliability. 

Insurance for your Jaguar XF Sportbrake should be considerably lower than in any of its similar-era German counterparts. That's because of the entry-level model's modest power output and manual gearbox, putting it in group 25 - but that's only for pre-facelift models, as this engine was dropped. New Jaguar XF Sportbrakes start at group 35 for the D200 SE.

P250 petrol models are a couple of groups higher at 37, while the quickest Jaguar XF Sportbrake P300 version sits in group 40.

Under the latest 1 April 2025 tax regulations, the cheapest is the 2.0-liter 163PS diesel (built from 14 June 2017 to 24 June 2018) at £195 per year. It's very easy to get stung, as most cars emit high-ish c02 emissions. Steer clear of R-Dynamic SE Black D200 and P250 cars, unless you want £620 annual road tax. Likewise, the 300PS and 240PS models all emit high-ish emissions. It's worth doing some homework before buying. 

Jaguar refuses to skimp on luxuries, and the Jaguar XF Sportbrake comes as lavishly appointed as you would hope in such a large, expensive car. 

The entry point is the Jaguar XF Sportbrake R-Dynamic S, which is packed with kit as standard. LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels and 12-way electric heated seats are all there from the off, while useful safety kit includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist.

Next up is the Jaguar XF Sportbrake R-Dynamic SE, which adds Auto High Beam Assist to the LED headlights, a wireless charging pad, sport seats, and the desirable Meridian Sound System.

At the top of the range is the Jaguar XF Sportbrake R-Dynamic HSE, and this adds 20-inch alloy wheels and 16-way electric heated seats with Windsor leather.

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake 300 Sport technically sits higher in the range but only comes with the 300PS petrol option. For your extra outlay you get a heated steering wheel, privacy glass and premium cabin lighting - as well as the most powerful engine in the range.