• Rear legroom impresses
• 40:20:40 split folding rear seat
• Plenty of storage cubbies in the upmarket cabin

How much space is there?

Given the sleekness of its four-door coupe-like profile, you’d be forgiven for imagining Jaguar XF practicality might not be particularly impressive – but you’d be wrong. Space up front is generous, with a driver’s seat that goes back a long way, plenty of headroom and a decent amount of shoulder room, too.

Move to the rear and it’s the legroom that impresses the most. There’s certainly more than you’d get from a BMW 5 Series, allowing four six footers to sit comfortably. Rear headroom is a little tight for taller individuals, and it’s not as wide as some rivals, making it more of a squeeze when you’re sat three abreast.

Not helping matters is a sizeable transmission tunnel the centre occupant will need to straddle. We can’t be too hard on the Jag, though; other rear-wheel drive rivals are similarly affected. We do wish the central rear seat was a bit more sculpted, making longer journeys more comfortable for those perched there.

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There’s also a handful of usefully sized storage areas. These include a rubber-backed tray in front of the gear lever, a pair of cup holders in the centre console and a hinged armrest, which also reveals a couple of USB ports and a 12-volt charging point. The door bins aren’t the largest, but at least shaped to accommodate a tall drinks bottle.

Boot space and storage

This generation of XF features a larger aperture than before allowing better access to the 540-litre capacity boot. That figure matches the E-Class and beats the 5 Series, although the XF’s boot isn’t particularly square in shape and there’s a sizeable loading lip.

As standard, all models have a 40:20:40-split rear seat back, allowing longer, more awkward loads to be carried with ease.

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Is it easy to park?

At 4,962mm long, 1,605mm wide and 1,456mm tall, the XF isn’t the most compact saloon, but it at least benefits from large door mirrors and big windows to provide a good view out.

Front and rear parking sensors come as standard on all models, along with a 360-degree camera system that can also show the vehicle in 3D.

Safety

• Full five-star crash test score from Euro NCAP
• An inherently safe executive saloon
• Further safety kit is optionally available

When crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP, the Jaguar XF was awarded a full five-star rating. Just bear in mind that was under older, less strict guidelines.

All XFs are equipped with six airbags, LED headlights, electronic stability control, hill start assist,  lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking and a pair of Isofix child seat-mounting points in the back.

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SE models gain more kit including blindspot assist, rear cross traffic alert and Clear Exit monitor – which warns rear passengers of approaching traffic if they are about to open their door.

WATCH: Jaguar XF Saloon Euro NCAP crash test