The Ford-owned British sports car maker, Jaguar, is preparing a replacement for the current S-Type, to be named Jaguar XF and scheduled for launch this fall.

Code-named X 250, the new XF aims in particular at buyers of the very successful BMW 5-Series. The current S-Type has been on the market since 1998, and although it had found many faithful buyers, the nostalgic styling turned out not to be for everyone. The new XF abandons traditional styling to pursue a more youthful modern design as seen in the C-XF Concept.

The XF engines range from 6 and 8 cylinder engines including the new 3.2 liter petrol 6-cylinder, first used in the Volvo S80. Also the 4.2 liter V8 of the current model is expected to be upgraded to 5.0 liter. Transmission is a six speed automatic controlled through an all-new gear selector interface called JaguarDrive.

These photos are showing a right-hand drive prototype of the new Jag as it was being loaded into a truck for transport. The usual car cover has been rolled up and placed on top of the car, giving us the first clear look at the car without disguise.