THE Jaguar XJ R-Sport is a luxurious cruiser with a price-tag to match.

So with 77-litres of fuel on board, sunglasses at the ready and a V6 diesel beauty at my beck and call, where best to go to try out a car designed to tour the nation's motorways with the minimum of fuss - the Peak District of course.

To be fair I had to cruise along a fair bit of motorway to get there giving the big Jag plenty of time to show its first-class attributes in its favourite habitat.

Once in the Peaks though all bets are off as you wind your way up hill and down dale on roads that are often just single lane tracks.

Did the XJ baulk at the challenge? Did it retire tail between its legs to the safety of three-lanes and a service station? Did it heck.

If anything the XJ is even more fun in this environment as sharp steering and nimble chassis, made from lightweight aluminium, delight in laughing at chicanes and hairpin bends a Formula One racetrack would be proud of.

Yes the ride is firm, but aside from the odd deep pothole, most humps and hollows are absorbed without too much fuss.

It's as agile as a ballerina in corners with the optional 20-inch alloy wheels on this car putting plenty of rubber on the road.

The 3.0-litre diesel, aided and abetted by a super slick eight-speed automatic transmission, makes mincemeat of the sprint from 0-60mph - although the small market town of Bakewell is not the place to try it. The hair-raising rush is completed in under six seconds on the way to a top speed of 155mph.

The big Jag responds with barely a murmur which together with excellent sound proofing further add to the air of refinement so making long trips and jaunts through idyllic countryside a pleasure.

For such a big car fuel economy is surprisingly good with the oil burner boasting a claimed average of 48mpg with the 20-inch boots fitted and carbon dioxide emissions of 155g/km.

Obviously the fuel economy figure is dented when negotiating the gradients of Snake Pass - but someone with £70,000 to spend on a motor probably won't be worrying about thatl.

The driver benefits from a wraparound cockpit where everything is close to hand giving a sportscar feel to what is in fact a substantial saloon.

As you scan the cabin from behind the R-Sport steering wheel it is clear the surroundings are palatial.

The leather-bound dashboard is home to a myriad of high tech gizmos and an infotainment system featuring an intuitive set up called InControl Touch Pro with a customisable eight-inch touchscreen allowing pinch, zoom and swiping just like a smartphone.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster can be configured to show a full-width navigation display.

There are soft-grain perforated leather sports seats that cosset as powered adjustment provides the perfect position with the setting able to be stored in the memory facility. The seats can also be heated or cooled.

Driver and passengers get plenty of space in the short wheelbase version I drove, but if you want the full limo treatment opt for the long wheelbase model.

Plenty of goodies are fitted including a powerful Meridian stereo which helpfully places speakers in the rear doors meaning the kids have no way of escaping your Dire Straits greatest hits CD until they discover the rear-seat multimedia package.

This features eight-inch LCD screens and wireless headphones giving access to the digital TV when Mark Knopfler becomes too much to bear.

There is plenty of room for your bits and bobs with a large glovebox, a covered central storage space and deep door bins.

Use the powered boot and you'll discover plenty of space although I thought the opening a touch narrow.

That said, the exterior of the caris gorgeous with swooping lines and gorgeous curves.