IT'S already grabbed the limelight by helping cycling star Bradley Wiggins secure victory in the Tour de France and now Jaguar's new estate is about to capitalise on its supporting role.

From December the new XF Sportbrake will be hitting the road bringing a touch of luxury to the load lugging market.

It will also be delivering a sporty drive the likes of which is unmatched in this type of car.

Priced from £31,940 the XF Sportbrake is diesel only and uses either 2.2-litre four cylinder or three-litre V6 engines.

Power ranges from 163 to 200ps in the 2.2 and from 240 to 275 in the V6 and the higher output engines we have just tried are benchmark blocks in the estate car league.

Swift and seamless acceleration through an eight speed auto box and a remarkably grippy drive are what make the Sportbrake tick.

And its sporty credentials are why Jaguar chose the Sportbrake name rather than opting for a straight estate or tourer moniker.

In a nutshell the Sportbrake is a fraction longer than the XF saloon, has the same wheelbase but comes with a super-sleek profile and an action-packed image. From the door pillar rearwards it is a completely different car.

It is aimed very much at the leisure market and, as its Team Sky support car role showed in the Tour de France, can carry an array of bikes plus plenty more inside.

Luggage space ranges from 550 to 1,675 litres, the rear seats fold flat at the pull of a couple of levers and it can handle objects almost two metres long and a metre wide - or a 50 kilo refrigerator which was the rather odd cargo Jaguar supplied for a session around a handling track to demonstrate the car's agility when laden.

To reinforce its practicality there are a number of protective load liners, cargo straps and securing bars available as are roof rails and a removable towing hook which can be stowed in a special boot compartment when not in use.

Privacy glass is standard and so is a retractable luggage blind while the tailgate itself is power operated and can be released from the key fob if necessary.

The Sportbrake is functional and user-friendly but the special part of this car is its luxury and Jaguar lineage.

Leather upholstery and high tech equipment including sat nav are very much executive grade as is the ride which is helped by self levelling air suspension.

On the road the Sportbrake feels even more rigid and composed than the saloon.

Jaguar is claiming an average of 55.4 to the gallon for the 2.2-litre and 46.3 for the V6 while emissions are 135 and 163g/km respectively - the cleanest diesels Jaguar has developed.

We managed around 36mpg overall from both engines and the two we sampled were both higher powered derivatives.

The V6 has much more obvious get up and go with a top speed of 155mph and 0 to 60 time of 6.1 seconds but the 2.2 is not at all underpowered at 8.2 seconds 0 to 60 - and bearing in mind it is some £8,000 cheaper it has to be the pick of the 13 model Sportbrake line up.

The range tops out at £51,505 for the three-litre Diesel S in Portfolio specification but Jaguar has decided it will not be fitting the Sportbrake with its new three-litre supercharged petrol engine or the five-litre V8 that can be had in the XF saloon.

Jaguar has not had an estate in its line up since the demise of the X-Type and the Sportbrake will be sold only in the UK and Europe.

On looks alone the Sportbrake has plenty of appeal. LED running lights set off the nose while the rear lamp clusters form around a chrome strip running across the tailgate.

It looks classy and distinctive day or night and the slippery silhouette is one on its own. Competitors from the Audi and BMW camps have nothing that look quite as good and while Mercedes has just launched its CLS Shooting Brake the Jaguar undercuts it by almost £20,000.

The Sportbrake delivers an inspired drive and in terms of fashion and function it is at the top of the pile.