British automotive magazine Autocar has come across what appear to be brochure scans or photos of the upcoming Jaguar XF Sportbrake. However, Jaguar itself has been playing a bit of cat and mouse itself (no pun intended) with the Sportbrake via its Twitter page. Even Santa got in on the action this past December.
Although it’s unclear whether or not this rakish upscale wagon will come stateside, it’s a critical part of Jaguar’s European sales strategy, where the Audi A6 Avant and BMW 5 Series wagon are strong sellers. The engine lineup is expected to include a four-cylinder and V-6 diesel, as well as Jaguar’s available 5.0-liter direct-injection V-8. No word on a supercharged “R” variant yet.
Standing on this side of the Atlantic, we sincerely hope that Jaguar doesn’t go the conventional SUV route, or even worse, a “four-door coupe” on stilts along the lines of the BMW X6. We think the XF Sportbrake would fill the bill nicely for a more practical offering in its lineup. Seeing as most Jaguar dealers in the U.S. are also paired with a Land Rover franchise, the XF could be a unique offering for those that appreciate the dynamics of a performance sedan, with the periodic practicality of a small SUV.
But, alas, we know automakers’ ultimate goal is to sell cars and make money, and as much as we’d love to see it here, we know the market for it would be small. Here’s hoping it’s big enough to be justified.
Thanks to: Motor Trend
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