A SLEEK and sporty estate car is joining the Jaguar line up with the arrival of an all-new XF Sportbrake.

The luxury load lugger will be on the road in November adding another string to Jaguar's booming range of activity vehicles spearheaded by the top selling F-PACE SUV.

Unveiled at a star-studded premiere in London by tennis ace Andy Murray the new Sportbrake will be priced from £34,910 - some £2,500 more than the XF saloon but slightly cheaper than the previous model.

Powered by a 2.0-litre 163ps Ingenium diesel engine capable of 62.8mpg, the rear-wheel-drive estate is Britain's alternative to the likes of the new BMW 5 Series Touring.

With a cargo capacity of 565 litres stretching to a maximum of 1,700 litres, the new Sportbrake offers more load space than before, on a par with the new Beemer and bettered on that front only by the Mercedes E-Class and Volvo V90.

Styled to impress, the new XF Sportbrake is a fraction shorter than the original model launched in 2012 but wider, higher and with a longer wheelbase.

That adds up to more room inside, especially in the rear where there is much more head and legroom than before and, with a huge panoramic glass roof, the Jaguar's cabin has a spectacular ambience.

Luxury touches include 10 different colours for the onboard ‘mood' lighting and a gesture control which operates the retractable roof blind at the wave of a hand.

Another so-called gesture function opens the electrically powered tailgate where the cargo area can be extended in seconds at the pull of two levers to accommodate items up to two metres in length - enough to take a mountain bike or even a fridge-freezer.

With a low load lip and a wide, flat boot floor the Sportbrake scores highly on the practical front and the car is available with Jaguar's Activity Key, a weatherproof wristband allowing outdoor enthusiasts the freedom of not having to carry the key fob when out in the wilds.

Five engines will be offered in the UK - four diesel and one petrol - with all-wheel-drive available on most.

Emissions range from 118g/km to 155 and the range toppers will have either 300ps 3.0-litre V6 diesels or 250ps 2.0-litre turbo petrol engines both capable of 0 to 60mph in less than seven seconds.

Self levelling air suspension is fitted to maintain the ride height under all conditions and the Sportbrake also makes use of Jaguar Land Rover's All Surface Progress Control system to give added traction in poor weather or rough terrain.

The Sportbrake can also be fitted with an automatically retractable towbar and has a towing limit of two tonnes - sufficient to pull a horsebox or a jet ski.

As such it makes a fine fist of blending luxury, performance and practicality making the Sportbrake a classy alternative to premium SUVs.

At the front, the car is identical to the XF saloon and although the same length the estate treatment has accentuated its lines with a flowing roofline, a subtle spoiler at the top of the tailgate and slightly pronounced haunches over the rear wheel arches giving the Sportbrake a powerful poise.

Onboard technology includes the Jaguar Touch Pro system which offers full connectivity, WiFi, access to remote control Apps and a sat nav set up that is smart enough to deliver an interactive view of your destination as the car nears journey's end.

The car is even fitted with an advanced climate control that ionises the air inside the cabin, boosting the feel-good factor.

Built at Jaguar's factory in Castle Bromwich alongside the XF saloon, the XE, XJ and the F-Type sports car, the new Sportbrake will have its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Prior to that it will be touring Britain as part of Jaguar's run-up to being official vehicle supplier for this year's Wimbledon Championships which run from July 3 to 16.

During the tour it will be carrying the Men's Singles trophy - twice won by Murray - around clubs and schools across the country.