Frankfurt motor show 2007 - Jaguar XF

It's surely no coincidence that Jaguar has chosen to reveal the sensational new XF saloon at Frankfurt - effectively, the back garden of the big German manufacturers.

And why not when you have a car that makes the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes look frumpy, contrived or inelegant?

'This is the only sports car in its class,' claims Jaguar design director Ian Callum of the XF's striking saloon-within-a-coupe profile.

It's a thoroughly modern car, but with nods to Jaguars of old. The aluminium side window surrounds are a throwback to the Mark 2 of 1959, while the oval grille - which will become a feature of the next generation of Jaguars – was last seen on the original XJ.

The interior also features a blend of the traditional and the futuristic. The starter button illuminates and throbs when you fire up the engine, the ventilation grilles then swivel open and a switch rises between the seats.

It's the automatic gear selector, which works electrically, with no mechanical connections whatsoever.

The instruments are bathed in the same soft blue light that edges all the control panels.

Despite the coupe looks, there's plenty of room for four people, and - a real novelty for Jaguar, this - a proper boot: 540 litres if you opt for a tyre repair kit instead of a spare, plus another 420 litres with the rear seats down.

Hand-stitched leather trim - including the dash top - aluminium fascia panels and lashings of wood are standard.

Mechanically, the XF draws heavily on last year's fabulous XK coupe. The suspension and subframes are straight from the XK, slightly retuned to suit a sports saloon.

Power comes from 3.0-litre V6, 4.2-litre V8 and 4.2 V8 supercharged petrol engines as well as a 2.7-litre V6 diesel, all driving through a six-speed automatic gearbox.

The XF goes on sale in March next year and is likely to cost from £33,900.