One cool cat

IF ANY of my old neighbours had met me last week, I think they might have said something like

‘it’s far from Jaguars you were reared.’

The only cats I knew on the farm where I grew up were the ones that hung around the milk churns hoping for spillage, but life can be take strange turns and of course I had to return the gorgeous Jaguar XF Sportbrake after seven days.

Seven blissful days of smooth and relaxing driving in a long motor that resembled a limousine. This is a station wagon version of the Jaguar XF, which I drove for the first time last year and it really is awesome.

In the animal world the jaguar is the third largest feline after the tiger and lion. The Jaguar brand has a proud history and it’s now operated by Jaguar-Landrover in the UK, a subsidiary by Indian company Tata Motors and it certainly lives up to the animal name that it carries.

The XF Sportbrake, which is built near Coventry, is Jaguar’s premium five-seater, which will target German rivals like the BMW 5 series touring and the Mecedes E-Class Estate for starters. Two engine options are a 2.2 litre diesel and a 3.0 litre diesel. Both come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and fuel-saving stop-start technology.

Viewed from the front you cannot mistake the Jaguar, with the huge grille and the Jaguar’s head incorporated into the middle of the grille. The leaping cat logo is now on the back of the car. LED lights add that extra touch of class. It’s a really long car and with tinted windows in the rear it did remind me of a limousine.

When you sit in and start the car you might think you were being featured in a James Bond movie as a thick button called the Jaguar Drive Selector emerges

‘bond-like’ from the centre console to select a gear and at the same time the steering wheel automatically readjusts its setting.

Then when you turn on the air conditioning all four air vents on the dash roll open in unison; all very impressive.

The interior has cream leather seats and a lovely walnut trim front and back, which makes the interior decor extremely attractive. It was difficult to tell after just one week, but it might be difficult to keep the cream seats clean.

Plenty of room for three adults in the back and it might even be more comfortable with just two back seat passengers as they could then leave down the middle section which acts as a drinks holder and arm rest. With such a long motor naturally the boot is massive and if you leave down the back seats you should be able to transport any kind of bulky item.

Prices start at e47,220, but the good news is that C02 emissions are low and road tax is only e280. As you know money is tight in Ireland right now and this car will probably only appeal to a niche market. But for those who can afford a Sportbrake, it’s certainly is going to be luxury with a capital

‘L.’