An image of the Jaguar XF Sportbrake leaked ahead of schedule, it seems.

The long-awaited Jaguar XF Sportbrake will be rolling into Geneva’s PALExpo Convention Center next week, it seems, and thanks to a brochure falling into the wrong hands we’ve got these preliminary pics to show our readers before we get a look at the wagon in the flesh, so to speak, at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Considering the strong popularity of station wagons – aka “shooting brakes” in Brit-speak – it’s a surprise that it has taken Jaguar so long to bring into its line-up after a few false starts over the decades.

But the maker is now on a roll, along with its British sibling Land Rover, and between them they plan more than three dozen new products, variants and major powertrain launches before mid-decade, according to senior company officials.

The brochure images – which align with recent spy shots – reveal that from the B-pillar forward Jaguar has maintained the basic look of the XF sedan.  But from mid-body back it’s all-new, including the use of black-out trim that appears lifted from the bigger Jaguar XJ.

There had been rumors the maker might adapt an almost coupe-like roofline, opting for form over function.  In the end, it appears, they chose a more conventional, wagon-like body that appears to provide significant rear seat space and cargo area, the back seats folding over to enhance load carrying capabilities.

That may explain the use of the term “sportbrake,” rather than the traditional British “shooting brake.”  The Jaguar design appears to blend wagon-esque elegance with the more functional design of a luxury truck often referred to as a “sportback.”

Whatever the back story, the XF Sportbrake will have some tough competitors, notably including the Audi A6 Avant and the Mercedes-CLS wagon that reportedly also is set to make its debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Word has it we’ll see a variety of powerplants derived from the existing XF line-up, including a 385-horsepower version of the 5.0-liter V-8 and a performance version making 470 hp.  Whether we’d also get an XFR-S remains to be seen.  But a turbodiesel seems all but certain considering the demands of the European market.

As for the U.S., well, that’s another big question mark.  Demand for wagons has been minimal, at best, and considering Jaguar’s own sales travails it seems questionable the maker would introduce another model that would likely generate little demand.  But the Brits might surprise us yet.