One can only be excited when a new crazy estate or wagon car makes its debut on the world scene, even if only digitally: meet the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake, a car that has 550 PS (542 hp) and 680 NM (501 lb-ft) from its supercharged V8, but also a maximum load volume of 1,675 liters (not class leading, but good; trails Mercedes’ E-Class estate by 275 liters).
Planned to be revealed to the press and public at the Geneva motor show, the car is exactly what you think it is – an XFR-S wagon that will be available for order in the UK as of April 1, starting at £82,495, or around €100,000/$137,600; available numbers will be very limited, as per the sedan.
Performance is on par with rivals, with 100 km/h (62 mph) coming up in 4.8 seconds and its top speed is electronically pegged back at 300 km/h (186 mph). The chassis has also been tuned to offer optimal handling with the new distribution of masses over the axles of the estate, using an active electronic differential in conjunction with stability control to enhance the handling characteristics.
Even the dynamics have been tuned, in the quest to reduce the dreaded lift that makes high-speed handling more of a chore than it has to be. This has been achieved with unique body parts taken from the sedan: deeper front bumper with splitter, extended side sills “and aeroblade mouldings behind the front wheels serve to create a sharp break-off point between the lower bodywork and the road surface in order to keep the airflow attached to the car’s sides for as long as possible.”
Wheels feature six spokes and measure 20 inches in diameter feature a ceramic polish applied to their outer surface, making for some nice contrasts with the bright available paint finish options – they can be had in either dark grey or full gloss black. They are complimented by matching pieces of trim on the body too.
The rest of the package is basically identical to the sedan, so the only thing left to do is check out the gallery below.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
