Jaguar’s highly acclaimed XF saloon will spawn an estate version – and it’s likely to debut towards the end of next year.
Jaguar design director, Ian Callum, had previously been reported as saying that the firm would not build another estate, but he was keen to put the record straight in an exclusive interview with Auto Express.
“I was misquoted saying we’d never build another wagon,” Callum told us. “I was asked if we’d ever build an XE wagon – and we won’t.” When asked about an XF estate, he added: “That would be a very pretty car.”
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Auto Express understands the new estate has already been signed off and could debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017, before going on sale later that year.
Our exclusive images show how the car could look, sporting the same sleek front end as the new XF, with its more upright grille. The swept-back headlamps with Jag’s J-blade LED light signature also feature.
The rear profile will not be too different to the outgoing model’s, adopting a more coupe-like shape than a traditional estate. We expect the back window to be shallower – as it is on the F-Pace SUV – with the distinctive twin half-hoop LED lights from the saloon.
Boot space is set to be slightly up on the saloon’s, at around 600 litres, while with the rear seats folded, space will be larger than before – 1,700 litres is feasible. The usual floor rail fixing system and powered tailgate are expected, too.
Callum also told us: “I’m a wagon fan. And there’s a sense of obligation that once you’ve started a range, you need to continue for your customers and hope to grow with it.”
The design director went on to confirm that there was interest in the XF Sportbrake from the traditionally estate-averse Chinese market. “I’ve spoken to a number of Chinese about wagons,” he said. “There’s a general feeling that as the market changes and families grow, the need for a more practical car than a sedan becomes more necessary.”
We’d expect engines and trims to mirror those in the saloon range, with entry-level 161bhp and 178bhp 2.0-litre diesels in Prestige, R-Sport and Portfolio specs. There will also be an S car with 297bhp, a 375bhp V6 petrol and an extreme SVR model to rival the Mercedes-AMG and Audi RS estates.
What do you think of our exclusive images of the Jaguar XF Sportbrake? Let us know below...