JAGUAR had kept its XF estate very well hidden until it was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show a couple of weeks ago but it was well worth the wait.

When the company is up against the likes of BMW and Audi, which both offer similar sized estates, they needed to catch up.

The XF Sportbrake is a bit of a heavy handle to hang on it, but it sounds like a real winner.

Not only is it very good looking, it's also practical, with 550 litres of boot space and still room for four passengers.

Power will come from the existing 2.2 and 3.0-litre V6 diesels with either 163, 190 or 237bhp.

And I have no doubt that the driving experience will be just as good as that in the saloon - hugely sophisticated and hushed, with that special Jaguar ambiance that no other manufacturer can match at the price.

Expect the usual Jaguar refinements, with most cars having leather, sat nav, electric seats, parking sensors, Bluetooth etc.

All will have the very good Jag eight speed automatic and also self-levelling rear suspension to make sure a load makes no difference to the ride and handling.