Jaguar XF Sportbrake leaked images

The grainy images – uploaded by website JokeForBlog – are believed to be part of promotional brochure material prepared for the car’s European launch.

Revealed for the first time, the taillights and integrated chrome crossbar are almost identical to the XF sedan, giving the Sportbrake an unmistakeable appearance.

The roof tapers down to the meet the thin chrome D-pillars, while a peaky roof-mounted spoiler extends over the rear hatch window.

Jaguar Australia brand manager Kevin Goult told CarAdvice the XF Sportbrake was – at least initially – likely to be a "retail order only" proposition in Australia, meaning cars will only come into the country when ordered by customers. Previous indications have suggested Australian orders could begin as early as the final quarter of 2012, although Goult said he could not confirm dates at this stage.

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake is designed to go head to head with the Audi A6 Avant (coming to Australia in Q3), the BMW 5-Series Touring and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate.

The powertrains from the XF sedan will almost certainly carry over to the Sportbrake, including the new entry-level 140kW/450Nm 2.2-litre diesel and the 202kW/600Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel.

The full details of the Jaguar XF Sportbrake will be revealed at Geneva on March 6.