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2018 Jaguar XF S Sportbrake Review | Who needs a crossover with a wagon this sexy?

PORTO, Portugal — SUV and truck mania is real — just ask the 63 percent of American buyers who opted for the high-riding vehicles last year. But there has been a recent groundswell of alternative options in the burgeoning wagon segment. Sure, there are lower-end wagons such as the tried-and-true Subaru Outback ($25,895) and the new-kid-on-the-block Volkswagen Golf SportWagen ($21,580). But the 2018 Jaguar XF S Sportbrake competes more closely with the stalwart Mercedes-Benz E400 ($64,045) and the stylish Volvo V90 Cross Country ($52,300). This begs the nagging question: Could wagons become a serious thing in the States? We spent a day bombing through Portuguese backroads to find out how the Sportbrake fares among its niche competitive set. The 2018 Sportbrake is a wagonized version of the second-gen XF sedan that arrived in 2016. While the first-gen model only offered a wagon variant for the European market, the new Sportbrake is a global vehicle that brings a more streamlined, aluminum-intensive architecture to the table and finally gives American wagon lovers the Jag they've been craving. First off, the essential reason we're here: the cargo area. Activate the power tailgate (which uses a one-piece composite tailgate, just like the F-Pace), and the opening reveals a flat surface on all sides with 31.7 cubic feet of storage. Fold the rear seats down, and volume expands to a considerable 69.7 — an increase of 12.6 and 38.4 cubic feet, respectively. For comparison, the Volvo V90 Cross Country offers 19.8/53.9 cubic feet, and the Mercedes-Benz E400 Wagon has 35.0/64.0 cubic feet. Folding the Sportbrake's rear seats down produces a nice, flat expanse for cargo, with no obtrusive humps or bumps on the side. Standard rear air suspension keeps things level when loaded up. Onward to the front seats, where the cabin brings the XF's familiar design with the dashboard rimmed in a curved ribbon of wood veneer — a pleasant touch that offsets the otherwise blase textured aluminum bits on the dash and shifter surround. Of course, there's the love-it-or-leave-it cylindrical shifter that rises from the center console, a confounding bit of design that leaves most PRNDL traditionalists cold. So, too, does the plastic starter button on the dash, one of the few unsatisfying puzzle pieces in the otherwise agreeably finished interior. But fire up the engine, and it's easy to forget these quibbles.

Jaguar trademarks EV-Type nameplate

Green may have been a popular color choice for the classic Jaguar E-Type, but even in Lightweight form (pictured above), it was hardly what you'd call environmentally friendly. Not by today's standards, anyway, with six-, eight- and twelve-cylinder engines displacing between 3.8 and 5.3 liters. But Jaguar looks to be preparing to revive the nameplate - or at least one similar - with a new electric vehicle in the works.
According to the latest intel, Jaguar has applied both in the US and in Europe to trademark the name EV-Type. The implication that it's developing an electric vehicle is clear, as is the reference to its iconic sports car of yore. But more than that, we don't know. We could be looking at an electric version of the current F-Type, a project to convert original E-Types to electric power or a different model altogether.
It wouldn't be the first time, of course, that we'd see Jaguar toying with the idea of electric propulsion. A couple of years ago, the British automaker demonstrated a plug-in hybrid XJ_e prototype, and showcased both the C-X16 and C-X75 concepts with advanced hybrid powertrains. But it has yet to put any such system into production, relying instead on the small diesels it sells in Europe to keep its carbon footprint small.

2016 Jaguar F-Type R AWD Beauty-Roll

For those of you paying attention, we've really ramped up the old Autoblog video game these days. Our new series Car Club USA joins Translogic and The List, and there are more Daily Drivers and Short Cuts than ever. But sometimes, all you care about is the car. The Autoblog Beauty-Roll video series has one goal: bring you glossy video images of cars, and nothing but. We're collecting moving pictures of all the cars we test, inside and out. Each episode comes with a hit of engine sound – start-up and with a few revs – to round out the package. Set your resolution to max, kick it into full-screen, turn up the sound, and enjoy today's subject, the 2016 Jaguar F-Type R AWD.