Sold in saloon and Sportbrake bodystyles, the new trim level offers Jaguar a rival to the Audi S line, BMW M Sport and Mercedes AMG Sport options available on the XF’s key four-cylinder diesel fleet rivals.

It adds a sports bodykit and R-Sport badging on the wing vents, steering wheel and tread plates, while a Black styling pack to remove all exterior chrome is optional. On-the-road prices start at £33,995 for the saloon, and £35,495 for the Sportbrake.

Engine options include the 2.2-litre diesel with 163 or 200bhp, and the 3.0-litre diesel. CO2 emissions for the saloon start at 129g/km with fuel economy of 57.7mpg, rising to 135g/km and 55.4mpg when fitted with 18-inch wheels. All models feature stop-start technology and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Steven De Ploey, Jaguar global brand director, said: ‘The XF R-Sport opens up the unique Jaguar ownership experience to a whole new group of customers. Business users and fleet managers will be able to enjoy the seductive design from the high performance 'R' models, while benefiting from the low emissions and high fuel efficiency of the powertrain. In short, Intelligent Performance taken to the next level.’

The XF R-Sport will be unveiled alongside the latest sports addition to the XF range, the XFR-S Sportbrake, which features a 5.0-litre, 554bhp supercharged petrol engine and offers 22.2mpg fuel economy with CO2 emissions of 297g/km.