Jaguar tells design story behind new XF Sportbrake [w/video]

Jaguar has released a walk-through of the design of its new XF Sportbrake, which debuted at last week's Geneva motor show.

The video features Jaguar design boss Ian Callum and Studio Director Wayne Burgess explaining how the design team managed to keep the company's first official estate car in line with the sportiness and luxury nature of Jaguar brand.

Callum says, "I know it's a very practical car, there's an amount of pragmatism in it, it is functional, but at the end of the day it is we call a Sportbrake, it has to look to sporty.

"We designed it so it still looks like an exotic car, not a functional box. It's got elegance about it, it's got beautiful lines about it and that was very much one of our objectives when we set about designing it," he adds.

A rising line from the front edge of the front wing to the back of the Sportbrake combines with invisible C-pillars, as found on the larger XJ sedan, which gives the appearance of a floating roof sloping downwards, although headroom in the rear cabin has actually increased.

By Rufus Thompson