This gorgeous $71,000 Jaguar wagon will make you want to ditch your luxury SUV

Jaguar XF S

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake wagon arrives in the US for the 2018 model year.
The Sportbrake is powered by a 380 horsepower, 3.0-liter supercharged V6.
According to Jaguar, the XF wagon can hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds.
We loved the Jaguar's style, performance, and utility but found its interior to be a bit plain.
The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD starts at $70,450 while our test car carried an as-tested price of $71,445.

For decades, the tried and true station wagon was the preferred method of family transportation in the US. But the in the '90s and 2000s, its position in the automotive kingdom was usurped by the minivan. And over the past decade, the minivan's reign was ended by the crossover SUV.

Even as America's love affair with the wagon faded, it remained a mainstay for families in Europe. As a result, the Continent's automakers have continued to produce world-class wagons.

And now it looks like wagons are making a comeback of sorts in the US. Will it once again dominate America's highways and byways? Probably not. But there is a slew of hot new wagons on the market that will tempt you into rejoining the club.

Since the vast majority of crossovers, probably a figure north of 95%, will never see terrain any more rugged than a grassy field, an all-wheel-drive wagon more than makes sense. (Those who do enjoy a spot of off-roading are probably better off in a truck or truck-based SUV and not a crossover.)

One of the hottest new contenders is the Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD wagon. Based on the mid-size second generation XF sedan, the Sportbrake is all-new for 2018.

Recently, Business Insider spent a week behind the wheel of a stunning Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD clad in a fiery Firenze red paint job.

In the US, the XF Sportbrake is only available in the option-laden S and First Edition trim levels. As a result, our 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD starts at $70,450. With a $995 destination fee tacked on, our car came with an as-test price of $71,445.

So, is the 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD good enough for you to ditch the crossover and return to the wonderful world of wagons? Let's find out.

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