XF Sportbrake: Because the world could always use another wagon
I don't think you're going to hear a single complaint about having another wagon available for sale in the US, no matter the price point.
There's still a case to be made for the station wagon, even in the US. Crossovers are wildly popular, sure, but not everyone wants the ride height and dynamic tradeoffs that come with that body style. For those people, the wagon is an excellent idea. Jaguar clearly thinks there's a case to be made for 'em, because it's brought one to the US for the first time.
The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake is a station-wagon variant of the XF sedan, which is sized to compete with the likes of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Mercedes is the only one of the German Big Three to offer a wagon in the US, so Jaguar's wise to capitalize on that small, yet still underserved segment.
Visually, it's pretty close to the XF sedan, except for all that extra roof behind the second row of seats. The extra junk in the trunk expands cargo capacity to 31.7 cubic feet behind the second row, but otherwise, it's not much different than the sedan.
[Insert peach emoji here.]
Under the hood lies a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine, putting out 380 horsepower and helping this wagon hustle to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. All-wheel drive is standard, as is an eight-speed automatic. Given its little bit of extra weight, the XF Sportbrake is likely to come in just under the standard XF 3.0T's EPA fuel economy of 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.
The XF Sportbrake is loaded with more than just a bunch of horsepower. Air suspension is standard, as are LED headlights, LED taillights and a power-assisted tailgate. The panoramic sunroof's retractable cover is gesture-controlled, and there's an optional air purifier system in case you live next to an industrial metal processing facility.
The XF Sportbrake will go on sale soon in multiple markets, including the US, China and Europe. In the US, pricing for the 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake begins at $70,450. The XF sedan starts at $47,750.
Editor's note: This article was updated to include new pricing information for the 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake and XF sedan.