Jaguar's king of the jungle

The Jaguar XF Sportback is being launched in New Zealand in July, priced from $95,000. Photo / Supplied

Station wagon combines sports car spirit and luxury craftsmanship

Jaguar New Zealand is adding beef to its line-up with the introduction next month of the XF Sportbrake station wagon.

Priced from $95,000 for the 2.2-litre diesel luxury model, the wagon looks like XF sedan from the front but gains entirely new styling from the B-pillar backwards.

The combination of flowing rear window graphic, rising waist and wagon roofline gives the XF Sportbrake a broad-shouldered stance.

The extended roofline gives rear passengers an extra 48mm of headroom, and the seats offer a 60:40 split-fold function operable by remote-fold levers inside the load-space opening, allowing the seats to be stowed flat easily, creating a cargo volume of up to 1675 litres.

"Creating the Sportbrake was a great opportunity for us to extend the XF's design aesthetic," said UK-based Wayne Burgess, studio director for Jaguar Design.

"The flow and connection of lines that lead the eye around the car result in an entirely practical estate car, consistent with Jaguar's reputation for drama and elegance."

The XF Sportbrake's 2.2-litre engine is fitted with Jaguar's Intelligent Stop-Start system, making it the company's most efficient powertrain to date.