Here’s our first glimpse of Jaguar’s second-ever estate car – the new 2012 Jag XF Sportbrake.
The Sportbrake name has been confirmed today, as our spies caught the XF estate on the roads testing around Jaguar’s Coventry R&D base.
Jaguar XF Sportbrake: the estate spyshots
A wagon derivative of the XF was not in the original plan conceived on Ford’s watch, so the product planners have had a considerable task to convert the four-door saloon into an executive estate.
These photos confirm that the XF estate is little longer than the saloon, yet bootspace is said to approach an Audi A6’s. The Avant’s loadbay is 565 litres.
Expect the usual fold-down rear seats, more rear headroom and executive toys such as electric boot operation.
More on Jaguar’s XF estate
Underneath that slab-sided zebra disguise lies a trad XF style. It’s only different from the B-pillars backwards, and our design sources suggest there’s a sporty side glasshouse with a coupe graphic to counter the slightly taller roofline.
Peel away the disguise and you’ll find what’s bound to become the most-talked-about aspect of the new XF Sportbrake: a black stylised wraparound rear pillar.
What, like the XJ’s bling-around black D-pillar?
Exactly. As revealed by CAR’s artist’s impression of the XF estate, it will echo the rear styling of the Jaguar XJ – it’s a polycarbonate cover, a bit like on the Mini’s A-pillars.
Expect to see the new Jaguar XF Sportbrake estate on sale later in 2012, when it will rival the BMW 5-series Touring, Audi A6 Avant and Mercedes E-class estate.