IT used to be the case that if you wanted a sports utility vehicle from the Jaguar Land Rover stable you headed for the Land Rover showroom, and if a sports saloon or something similar was your desire then the Jaguar people were the ones you needed to visit.

The lines started to blur when the Range Rover Evoque appeared in convertible form.

And now we have a Jaguar XF saloon that has morphed into a full-blown SUV. Welcome to the Jaguar F-Pace.

Designed to offer the space and practicality of an SUV while still looking and driving like a proper Jag, it is based on the same aluminium architecture as the XF and gets the sort of off-road technology that makes JLR peerless.

When looking for benchmarks to match or surpass in the F-Pace's development, Jaguar turned to the Audi Q5 for practicality and the Porsche Macan for driving dynamics. The luxury touches were already in place in the established XF cabin.

What you get is a car that may only be a mid-sized SUV but feels and looks bigger and is a blend of what other premium brands do best.

The sum of these parts is the most exciting premium all-rounder to emerge this year. And it's made in England.

Behind the wheel there's a superb view from the beautiful leather seating, with stacks of leg and elbow room and lots to admire on the dashboard.

Those in the back, where there is seating for three, will also appreciate the generous legroom and headroom, while the boot space measures an impressive 650 litres - compared with 540 litres in the Q5 - and there's even more space next to the tyre repair kit under the boot floor.

There's a choice of either two or three-litre diesel engines and a three-litre V6 petrol to choose from, and the 2.0-litre diesel with 178bhp will be the best-seller. It can’t compete with the V6 petrol on performance but with 0-62mph acceleration in 8.7 seconds, 53.3mpg combined fuel economy and emissions of 134g/km of CO2 it makes the most sense.

The eight-speed automatic shifts quickly and all bar the entry-level trim come with all-wheel drive. Even though it will almost be never used this way, the F-Pace has real off-road ability to make steep descents, climb hills and wade through water. All Surface Progress Control allows the driver to set a desired speed below 19mph and the F-Pace will nudge forward, managing the brakes and accelerator up or down hill as you steer.

The dynamics are not far removed from that of the XF, such is Jaguar's commitment to ensure driving pleasure. Indeed, the F-Pace lives up to its moniker as "the ultimate practical sports car".

The entry-model in the F-Pace range is the two-wheel-drive Prestige 2.0-litre diesel manual costing £34,170, which comes with stacks of standard equipment including cruise control, torque vectoring, front and rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, 18-inch alloy wheels and the InControl Touch infotainment system with DAB and satellite navigation. Most customers are likely to splash out the extra for the gorgeous R-Sport trim with 20-inch alloys, automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

The F-Pace has a broad appeal and the ability to provide both relaxing and exciting drive. Ironically, it will be the Range Rover Evoke that proves its biggest rival for customers.

Jaguar is now the largest auto manufacturer in the UK, where production reached 500,000 cars in 2015. About 20,000 jobs have been created in five years and sales were up 23 per cent last year.

Now the F-Pace has become the fastest-selling Jaguar ever. These are heady days for the company.