Preview: Production ready Jaguar XF

Jaguar has already given us a preview of its replacement for the aging S-type saloon in the form of the C-XF concept that was displayed at the recent Detroit Auto Show, and these latest renderings give us a clue to what the final production version will look like. Based on information from sources close to the new car, these images show that Jaguar’s designers are sticking with the ultra-modern look of the concept.

Picking up the XF label, the new sedan is scheduled for launch midway through next year as a 2009 model. Although the production version will feature a similar shape to the C-XF show car, expect certain design elements to be toned down. The grille and headlights are likely to be revised, while most of the air-vents should shrink in size. The windshield will most likely be angled higher, raising the roofline to provide a larger glasshouse for added interior space.

Recent spy-shots have showed a vehicle with a much more conventional roofline, and a body that appears to have lost the sculpted fenders and the flowing panels of the show car. The spied test-mule also revealed more conventional door handles, replacing the pillar-mounted units of the concept. The interior design is said to resemble the current XK’s cockpit, with brushed aluminum paddle-shifters located behind the steering wheel for manual control of a new six-speed auto gearbox.

The spy-shots also reveal that the production version will be getting a new tail-light design, which drop the concept’s clear lenses in favour of conventional red plastic lamps. Power will come from a range of six and eight cylinder engines, with the base model getting a new 3.2L straight-six motor from Volvo. Jagaur’s familiar 4.2L V8 will carry over for the initial release, but a revised version displacing 5.0L will debut sometime in 2010. The XF lineup will also feature two force-fed models for the first time, breaking with the tradition where a supercharger was reserved for the potent ‘R’ series of vehicles only.

Follow the jump to see high-res renderings of the front and rear in full.