New Jaguar XF Sportbrake Makes Station Wagons Look Good [PHOTOS]

Jaguar showed off its new Jaguar XF Sportbrake station wagon Tuesday at the Geneva Motor Show. The car seeks to fill a niche in the European luxury market for practicality and versatility in a family car.

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake looks to be a good addition to the Jaguar family as it brings refined style to the normally dull station wagon category. Purely on looks, Jaguar has no reason to circle up the wagons, as the XF Sportbrake looks great.

The car displays the sleek, smooth lines that are expected from a Jaguar and carries itself with the poise and fluidity of the XKR sports coupe. Seen square on from the front, the XF Sportbrake could be confused for a sedan. On looks alone, this car shines.

The XF Sportbrake also takes some departures from the ordinary station wagon mold. It is available with two optional trim packages. One trim pack, Black, doesn't seem it will do a whole lot for performance as it reportedly consists of darkening surfaces and adding alloy wheels.

The other trip package, though, is more in line with the sporty-but-utilitarian crowd that the XF Sportbreak seems to be targeting. The Aero trim pack reportedly improves the car's aerodynamics by enhancing the front bumper and side sills and by extending the rear spoiler.

Whether or not the car will necessarily need improved aerodynamics remains to be seen. The top level 'S' model XF Sportbreak will feature Jaguar's 3.0 liter twin-turbo V6 mated to an eight-speed, flappy-paddle gearbox, which should generate approximately 271 horsepower and 442 lb/ft of torque. The XF Sportbreak is currently available only in diesel.

Alternatively, the XF Sportbreak will also be available with a 2.2 liter four-cylinder engine with a start-stop system that allows the car's engine to be stopped when the vehicle halts, and restarted when it begins to move again to lower fuel consumption.

On the interior, the XF Sportbreak has touch-screen satellite navigation and front seats that try and mimic a sports car's bucket seats. The car can seat five, and the back seats can be folded down with the touch of a button, literally. Jaguar's literature talks up the sporting luxury of the interior, but it doesn't hold a candle to the exterior styling.

Reports indicate that the XF Sportbreak will be available only in Europe at this time, and auto manufacturers are notoriously skittish about marketing diesel cars in the United States. All that is to say, although the XF Sportbreak is an attractive station wagon, don't hold your breath about replacing your Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon.