Jaguar XF Sportbreak(Stationwagon)
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Jaguar XF Sportbreak(Stationwagon)
British luxury- and sports-car maker Jaguar said it will unveil a sport station wagon based on its XF midsize sedan at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6.
The new design, called the XF Sportbrake, is yet another piece of evidence indicating station wagons are mounting a comeback after decades of fading popularity and obscurity as minivans and sport-utility vehicles gradually took over the family-hauler market..
Jaguar calls the Sportbrake “a no-compromise approach to practicality” that combines the handling of a sport sedan with five-passenger seating and cargo capacity similar to that of a crossover or SUV. Features include a self-leveling suspension that adjusts to varying load weight. The car will come with a range of turbocharged diesel engines.
The company said it will release more details about the car at the Geneva show, including the markets in which it will be available.
A number of sport hatchback and wagons have rolled out recently and some are available in the U.S., suggesting there may be a broader audience for wagons including younger buyers who may have ridden in station wagons in the 1970s and 1980s. Some car makers and industry analysts say they expect wagons to become more popular as Generations X and Y increasingly assert their automotive preferences.
Mercedes-Benz has shown its similar Shooting Brake concept over the past two years. While the company hasn’t announced production plans, it said it plans to roll out a wide range of models aimed at younger buyers.
Jaguar To Roll Out XF Station Wagon in Geneva - Driver's Seat - WSJ
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GENEVA — The new Jaguar XF Sportbrake introduced here won’t be coming to America, but not for the reason that most readily comes to mind.
Several years back, Jaguar offered a version of its now-discontinued X-Type sedan as a wagon in the United States. It attracted a small cult, but was a sales dud by any meaningful measure.
The lingering X-Type hangover did not, however, inform Jaguar’s decision not to export the XF Sportbrake, which is scheduled to go on sale in Europe this fall. In a word, blame federalization.
Stuart Schorr, a spokesman for Jaguar USA, noted in an e-mail Monday that the Sportbrake’s bumpers and powertrain were designed to meet European, not the somewhat different American, standards.
The Sportbrake, which weighs roughly 154 pounds more than the sedan on which it is based, draws power from one of two diesel engines, including a 2.2-liter, 4-cylinder unit with hybridlike start-stop technology. A 3-liter V-6 produces 271 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque.
Though the Sportbrake is staying abroad, Jaguar clearly hopes to bring its diesel engines to North America. Last year, a diesel-powered XF sedan averaged 52 miles a gallon during a drive across the United States. “It was an indication of what our standard car, driven carefully, could achieve,” Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar’s brand director, said during the presentation here.
Mr. Hallmark added that diesel models and the Sportbrake wagon, which offered 59 cubic feet of cargo room, demonstrated Jaguar’s commitment to appealing to a wider range of customers. “It’s more about versatility than pure design,” he said.
Geneva Auto Show: Jaguar XF Sportbrake - NYTimes.com
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2002XK8Orlando (03-18-2012)
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I forgot to add the detail: it's a Holden Calais Sportwagon, designed and developed in Australia, and shipped to the US (briefly). The sedan version is the most popular car in Australia (except for last month), and comes in various guises. I have the LWB version, the Statesman. There's also a standard wheelbase utility. Also exported to the UK as a Vauxhall.
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