BLISTERING performance combined with high levels of practicality – that’s the promise held out by Jaguar’s new XFR-S Sportbrake estate, which will be seen in public for the first time at next week’s Geneva Motor Show.
550PS hurls the XFR-S to 60mph in 4.6 seconds
For the most part, the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake follows the pattern already established by the XFR-S saloon.
That means a five-litre supercharged petrol V8 that churns out 550PS and 680Nm of torque, enough to blast Jaguar’s quickest estate to 60mph in 4.6 seconds on the way to an artificially limited top speed of 186mph.
The XFR-S Sportbrake is only available with an automatic, but it’s an eight-speeder that uses the same highly responsive “Quickshift” technology originally seen on the F-Type.
With a combined fuel consumption of 22.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 297g/km, the XFR-S isn’t the most tax-friendly business choice, but company car drivers can always dream, of course. Much more practical is the XFR-S Sportbrake’s vast maximum load area of 1675 litres with the rear seats folded down.
At £82,495, the XFR-S Sportbrake is a few thousand pounds more expensive than its most obvious rival, the Mercedes E63 AMG Estate, perhaps reflecting a growing confidence on Jaguar’s part where its latest models are concerned.
The arrival of the XFR-S Sportbrake also gives Jaguar an edge in the fight against BMW’s M5, which is not available in the UK as an estate.
Order books for the XFR-S Sportbrake open on 1 April.
