• Ingenium diesel is the cheapest to run
• Mild hybrid tech limited to diesel
• Fuel and servicing costs increase with petrol

What are the running costs?

Get a diesel model and Jaguar XF Sportbrake running costs can be pretty low. The D200’s efficiency is boosted by the mild-hybrid system which assists the engine under acceleration, and powers some of the on-board electrics. It doesn’t make a huge difference in everyday driving, but helps it achieve the lowest CO2 emissions in the Sportbrake range.

The rear-wheel-drive D200 is the most efficient model. The official WLTP figures suggest average fuel economy in the mid-50s; we achieved a still respectable 45mpg with a mix of town, country and motorway driving. That translates to a range of nearly 700 miles from the huge 66-litre fuel tank. CO2 emissions of 130g/km are pretty low for this type of car.

The all-wheel-drive D200 turned in mid-30s to low-40s mpg in our testing. Both diesel engines use AdBlue; rather inconveniently, the filler is found inside the boot, high up on the left hand side. Be careful not to spill any because it’ll ruin the carpet.

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Servicing and warranty

Jaguar offers a number of Service Plans which offer cost-effective maintenance for new and approved-used vehicles up to 10 years old with fixed up-front payments. You can make a one-off payment or spread the cost with monthly payments. Service plans are transferable between owners if the schedule is adhered to via Jaguar dealers.

The XF Sportbrake has a warranty that lasts three years, with no mileage limit, which can be extended to four or five years at extra cost. While unlimited mileage is useful, some rivals come with up to 10 years of warranty coverage.

Reliability

• Not a traditional strong point but an area of improvement
• Lots of new, modern engines shared across the JLR range
• Well-constructed interior plus stiffer body means fewer rattles

Jaguar has invested an awful of money in improving its cars’ reliability. Many of the XF Sportbrake’s components – including its engines – are shared with other Jaguar Land Rover cars, and the car certainly seems to be very well made.

But the XF Sportbrake’s reliability record is somewhat spotty. There are plenty of owners who have a largely trouble-free experience but others have encountered problems, particularly with the electrical system. There have been a number of recalls for this second-generation XF over the years, as well, but those issues won’t afflict cars being built now.