At the hillclimb event where it was acting as a support car, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake attracted many admiring looks - as well it might have done, since it would have cost nearly £45,000 even without the considerable number of options fitted to it.In this environment I wasn't concerned so much about the equipment as about its ability to carry lots of stuff. The Sportbrake's rear end is very stylish, but while that has compromised its visibility to a fearful extent (if the test car hadn't had an optional rear-view camera hadn't fitted I don't think I'd have dared reverse it at all) there is no problem about practicality.The tailgate is wide and extends down to bumper level, and reveals a class-competitive 550 litres of luggage volume with a flat floor and vertical sides. That was more enough for my purposes. I didn't even need to slide the tonneau cover out of the way to release more space, far less to open up the full 1675 litres available by folding down the rear seats.Oddly, though, when people asked me what I thought of the car, I didn't mention any of this. Two other matters occupied my mind, one of them being Jaguar's fitment of 245/40 tyres on 19" wheels.In my launch report of the whole XF Sportbrake range I mentioned that, although Jaguars with low-profile tyres on large wheels had previously had absolutely dreadful ride quality, this one didn't. At the time, it was a pleasant surprise. For this test, my expectations may have been too high. In any case, I didn't think much of the ride at all.It's certainly better than that of previous 19"-wheeled Jaguars I've driven in the past, but it's still not good. It makes the car graceless, and what - as I've asked before - is the point of a graceless Jaguar?I could ask the same question while thinking about the engine, which is the other aspect of this particular Sportbrake I was keen on mentioning to people who wanted to talk about it. The range consists of just two diesels, each with two power outputs, and the better one is the three-litre V6.But that's not the one I had. I had the 2.2-litre four-cylinder, also used by Ford (from whom Jaguar buys it) but actually the work of PSA Peugeot Citroen.Now, there's no question that this is a good unit, and Jaguar has tweaked it so that it produces a maximum of 197bhp - more than Ford or either of the French manufacturers uses. Driving through an excellent eight-speed automatic transmission, it gives the Sportbrake a top speed of 134mph and a 0-60mph time of 8.2 seconds. Perfectly adequate figures.The thing is, though, it doesn't sound at all refined. Oh, I know Jaguar has put a lot of work into noise suppression, and there's no doubt that it's much quieter than, for example, the diesel engine in a Vauxhall Insignia. But it jars with the exterior appearance, and the lovely ambience of the interior, and that near-£45,000 price tag. In this respect, it was a constant disappointment.On the plus side, fuel economy isn't too bad. The trip computer seems to be very optimistic, having reported that I was averaging just under 45mpg when my measurements suggested 41.3mpg, but if you can afford the car in the first place even the lower figure isn't going to cause you much concern.A few minor points in conclusion. The satellite navigation system works splendidly as long as it acknowledge the existence of the location you want it to guide you to, but it didn't recognise either the address or the postcode of a large hotel easily visible from the Leeds ring road. A colleague suggested that the Jaguar was too posh to go there, and since it turned out to be a pretty terrible hotel I think he may have a point.The standard Meridian 825W premium sound system (with DAB digital radio) is, as far as I'm concerned, beyond criticism. The powered tailgate opens and closes more quickly than others of its type, which is a good thing, though not so quickly you have to dodge out of its way. And if you want the rear-view camera mentioned previously, or adaptive cruise control, a ski hatch, a heated leather steering wheel, adaptive xenon headlights, a detachable towbar, a blind spot monitor or - perhaps most necessary of all - a space-saver spare wheel, you have to pay extra for them. Engine 2179cc, 4 cylinders Power 197bhp Transmission 8-speed automatic Fuel/CO2 52.3mpg / 139g/km Acceleration 0-60mph: 8.2 seconds Top speed 134mph Price £44,695 Details correct at publication date
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