The first production Jaguar XF has driven out of the Castle Bromwich factory, near Birmingham.

Jaguar hopes the XF, which replaces the Jaguar S-Type, will buoy the success of the company, which faces an uncertain future after Ford announced plans to sell the luxury marque.

The Jaguar XF is a luxury saloon aimed to take Jaguar in a new design direction, and attract new customers to its showrooms.

Designed and engineered in Whitely, Coventry the XF breaks tradition by steering away from the classic swooping Jaguar body-shape, and featuring bolder more aggressive lines.

The C-XF concept wowed the world when it was premiered at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2007, and the XF production car remains largely unchanged.

The range starts at £32,925 and rises to £53,925 for the opulent and rapid 4.2-litre SV8 model.

The XF should help secure the positions of the 10,000 staff Jaguar employ in the Midlands.