Including $995 for destination and handling, the second generation of the XF Sportbrake will set foot on U.S. soil later in the year if you’re prepared to pony up at least $71,445. Is Jaguar a bit off with that starting price or does the longroof leaping cat actually make sense?
That’s for you, the reader, to decide. But to the XF Sportbrake’s defense, the family hauler ships with plenty of suck-squeeze-bang-blow from the get-go. Essentially the powertrain of the XF S, the U.S.-spec station wagon is propelled by a 380-horsepower and 332 pound-feet supercharged V6. The 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine helps the 4,045-pound leaping cat sprint to 60 mph in a claimed 5.3 seconds.
Since the United States is lacking in the longroof department because of those pesky crossovers and SUVs, Jaguar wasn’t wrong to offer the XF Sportbrake in this flavor. With all-wheel-drive coming as standard, it’s also perfect for customers living in and around the Snowbelt States.
Through the lens of the segment it plays in, the XF Sportbrake is squaring off with the likes of the Volvo V90 ($49,950 plus destination) and S213-gen Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon ($62,300). Right, now what about the more sensible stuff like trunk capacity?
Bearing in mind the XF Sportbrake features a Cd of 0.29, 31.7-cu.ft. of room for your stuff is impressive enough. Folding the 40:20:40 rear seats down makes the car an ideal tool for a trip down to IKEA, upping the ante to 69.7 cubic feet.
Being a Jaguar, passenger comfort is just as important as handling dynamics. For this very reason, the British automaker decided on a self-leveling suspension for the rear axle. On the subject of towing, loads of up to 4,400 pounds shouldn’t be a problem to the Sportbrake.
But most importantly, this fellow really looks good. “As with the XF sedan, every line on the Sportbrake serves a clear purpose, creating a fast sweeping silhouette,” commented director of design Ian Callum. “This gives the car a sense of speed and a very dynamic appearance. As a result, I think it looks just as sporty as the sedan, if not more so.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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