Jaguar's XJR575 is its most powerful luxury saloon ever

Jaguar has announced a 567bhp R variant of its XJ saloon for the 2018 model year, making it the most powerful version of the luxury car ever made.

The super saloon, called the XJR575, is powered by the same 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine from the previous range-topper, only the British carmaker has extracted an extra 25bhp - bringing the total power output from 542 to 567bhp.

Jaguar's engine upgrades means the new XJR can go from zero to 62mph in 4.4secs and boasts a supercar-rivalling top speed of 186mph.

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It's only available to order in short-wheelbase form, says Evo, and all models come with an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. Other tweaks include LED headlights and a pair of new colours - Velocity Blue and Satin Corris Grey.

The rest of the XJ lineup "gets new ten-inch touchscreen display with a new 4G Wi-Fi hotspot that supports up to eight devices at once", reports AutoExpress.

Drivers can also spec a handful of autonomous safety features, adds the magazine, including "forward traffic detection, lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking and a tiredness monitor".

The update for the 2018 model year is "a mid-life refresh" for the eight-year-old luxury saloon, says Autocar, with an all-new version expected in 2019. This version is "rumoured to be pure electric", and means Jaguar will beat its rivals "to having a battery-powered flagship saloon" with which it can target core markets such as China.

Until then, the company's most powerful XJR can be ordered for £93,710, although optional extras could inflate that figure. Prices for the entry-level 2018 XJ start at £59,995, which gets you a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine and an automatic gearbox.