We’ve been patiently waiting for more news about the XF Sportbrake, Jaguar’s first station wagon to come stateside since the ’80s.
Yesterday, finally, the mystery drew to a close. The Sportbrake is here. It’s tough. And it’s surprisingly longer than expected (195 inches).
As for how the newcomer measures up to the current crop of off-road-ready grocery getters? Let’s check the tape.
Power
The XF Sportbrake is packing a 3.0 supercharged V6 with 380 horsepower and an acceleration rate of 5.3 seconds. That isn’t quite up to the snuff of the Audi A6 (3-liter supercharged V6 with 340 horsepower; 5.2 seconds), but it bests the BMW 5 Series (3.0-liter
About what one would expect here — more power show-off than the Germans, but not quite enough hustle to run with top dog Audi.
Space
The XF Sportbrake is shorter in length than the previous model, but with an extended wheelbase, you’re getting more legroom and more trunk space. Stacked up, the Audi A6 has a boot slightly bigger than the 5 Series and just a shave under the E-Class. Pound for pound, the XF is similar to Audi, though no one matches up to the 5 Series. But they’ll all get the job done when it comes to lugging small humans, groceries and soccer gear.
Off-Roading
I’ll make this quick: air suspension is standard on the XF, but there’s no chance any of these are beating an Audi in the off-road department.
Looks
The XF was designed by design legend Ian Callum. The man knows a good line. It’s elegant and sophisticated, and that panoramic sunroof is a nice finishing touch. Pitted against one another, it’s a draw. No matter which way you slice it, you’re driving a wagon. Looks aren’t that important anyway — or so they say.
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