The XF Sportbrake is only available as a diesel at the moment, which is a pity. That car might have lots of oomph and reasonable economy but it's still a diesel. With private car sales increasing (private sales now account for more than 50% of the UK market) surely it's time for Jaguar to introduce their superb, supercharged 3 litre V6 and 5 litre V8 petrol engines to the Sportbrake.
The XFR-S Sportbrake is thought to be being developed by Jaguar's 'Engineered To Order' division. In other words they are working on making the engine fit and the suspension set-up just right so the car can be released quickly if enough positive publicity comes in as a result of these spy shots.
Given the saloon already comes with both petrol engines it won't be an expensive job - but Jaguar have to be happy they will sell enough to make it a worthwhile exercise. Audi, Mercedes and BMW have deeper pockets and can put out fast estates with confidence that they can take a hit if the market drops.
But Jaguar's rising status and increasing confidence, under their Tata ownership, surely mean we'll see petrol engined S, R, R-S Sportbrakes in the near future.
Here's hoping.
Here's a reminder of what the saloon XFR-S sounds like. Crank the volume up LOUD
