SUPERFAST estate cars offer the ultimate blend of performance and practicality and it's great to see Jaguar back in the running with the XFR-S Sportbrake.

It might be up against some tough competitors in the shape of the Mercedes E63 AMG S Estate and the Audi RS6 Avant but this growling Big Cat is more than capable of holding its own.

Jaguar estates have been fairly few and far between over the years. Other than a clutch of bespoke adaptations by third parties, the X-Type was actually the first time the Midland car-maker turned out a load-lugger.

That said, the whole motion of an estate was probably something of an odd one for a firm whose design values once lay pretty much permanently in the past.

The XF was the first real modern Jaguar saloon to dispense with its tried and tested retro design approach, meaning an estate version was a perfect complement.

While the Sportbrake was a long-time coming, it's proved a welcome addition to the range and the XFR-S is worthy of additional fanfare.

Looks-wise the Sportbrake generally is appealing and alluring and the range-topping XFR-S ups the ante even further, with lots of sporty styling flourishes and plenty of R-S badging.

Twin tailpipes complete the exterior picture of a car that means business.

On the interior the sports theme continues, with firm and supportive sports seats, swathes of aluminium and racing style dials.

Other standard Jaguar features like the circular automatic gear selector that pops up into place and air vents that open up when you push the start button blend in well too.

With this model Jaguar has gone straight to the ‘R-S' extreme, dispensing with the in-between ‘R' variant.

Those looking for extreme performance are unlikely to be disappointed. Under the bonnet is a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 delivering 542bhp.

Supercharging ensures pretty seamless and smooth power delivery and helps to create a gruff but pleasant engine note, something that is augmented by a special exhaust system.

Jaguar's extreme estate might not be quite as powerful or as quick as its rivals. The 577bhp E63 and the 552bhp Avant will complete the 0-62mph sprint around half a second and a second quicker respectively.

However it is still a blisteringly quick car with the kind of pace and power that is more than enough for most people's motoring needs.

The XFR-S Sportbrake certainly isn't cheap - and will set you back more than double the price of a 161bhp 2.2-litre diesel version.

But trying to compare two models at the respective ends of the spectrum is somewhat unfair, as they really are poles apart.

The XFR-S has a specially adapted suspension system that is 30 per cent stiffer and features new anti roll bars.

Other modifications include the same steering system and gearbox found on the F-Type.

While the standard Sportbrake handles nicely enough and to its credit is pretty much on a par with saloon versions this high-performance version represents a noticeably step up.

It still features rear-wheel drive (thee's no four-wheel-drive version available as yet) but it's sharp and agile and offers a truly exhilarating drive.

Despite its performance focus the XFR-S is also a comfortable everyday car that can cope well as a long distance motorway cruiser.

And, on the practicality front it also has the versatility of a roomy enough boot - 550 litres, or 1,675 litres with the rear seats folded down.