2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake rumoured for Frankfurt debut

Jaguar is reportedly moving closer to unveiling a new-generation XF Sportbrake, with rumours claiming the new wagon has now been signed off for production.

A cloud of doubt surrounded talk of a brand-new XF Sportbrake after Jaguar’s design director, Ian Callum, was misquoted as saying the manufacturer had ruled out launching any new wagon models.

The report, published by industry journal Automotive News, suggested this was due to booming SUV sales moving the company to focus on that segment instead of conventional wagons.

Callum took to social media to clarify the company’s position, confirming that only the new XE had been ruled out for any wagon plans.

Now, a new report from Auto Express suggests an all-new XF Sportbrake is on the way. 

Styling for the new Sportbrake is not expected to be a huge departure from the outgoing model, though the rear styling is said to take inspiration from the F-Pace SUV.

Front-end styling will reportedly be adopted straight from the XF sedan, with a similar grille and Jaguar’s signature J-blade LED headlights up front.

Engine offerings will likely mirror those in the sedan line-up, with a 120kW and 132kW 2.0-litre diesel offered in three spec levels. It’s also claimed an S range, featuring 221kW and 279kW petrol engines, will be available.

Performance wagon fiends will also be pleased to read that a powered-up SVR version is reported as a potential rival to the Mercedes-AMG E 63 and Audi RS 6 estates.

It’s unlikely at this point that the new wagon will be offered locally, with markets like Australia and the US ditching the wagon in favour of the higher-riding SUV body type.

The first iteration of the XF Sportbrake, released in Europe back in 2012, was originally planned to be offered in Australia on a special order basis. However, those plans were dropped a year later.

While there is no official word from the British car maker on a release date, reports suggest the new Sportbrake could appear at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. Others have pegged the wagon for a potential unveiling at this year’s Paris motor show.