NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: New Jaguar XF

Jaguar has confirmed it will reveal its next-generation XF in a "dramatic high-wire drive" across London on March 24 – a week before its public motor show debut in New York on April 1.

The British car-maker said the daring publicity stunt will see the all-new large luxury sedan attempt to establish a record for longest distance driven on wire by a car.

The attempt will be streamed globally at http://www.jaguar.com/jaguar-range/xf/experience/index.html from at 19:00 GMT on March 24 (8:00am AEDT on March 25).

Jaguar has teamed with British stuntman Jim Dowdell, who appeared in action stunts in movies including Bond, Bourne and Indiana Jones, to perform a world-first high-wire water crossing, using two 34mm-diameter suspended wires to "highlight the lightweight and agile credentials of the new XF".

Jaguar's announcement comes with a short teaser video, which reveals only the wheels of its redesigned competitor for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6.

However, Jaguar has now confirmed the second-generation XF will be based on an all-new aluminium platform – shared with the smaller new XE mid-size sedan – that it claims will result in a class-leading kerb weight that is "80kg lighter than the competition" and fuel consumption as low as 4.0L/100km.

The leaping cat brand also says the replacement for its original XF -- Jag's top-selling model since 2007 -- will deliver "unrivalled levels of refinement, luxury, comfort and technology".

"The next-generation XF is completely new from the ground up and will be the second Jaguar model to use the brand’s advanced aluminium-intensive architecture," said the company.

"The all-new XF will set new business segment benchmarks for weight and efficiency, resulting in class-leading fuel economy figures of over 70mpg (4.04L/100km)."

Jaguar Director of Design, Ian Callum, said the new XF will also look better than the E-Class, 5 Series and A6.

“I believe the all-new XF will be the best looking car in its class," he said. "Elegant, handsome and with proportions that imbue a great sense of integrity, the all-new XF will be true to the strong tradition of sporting Jaguar saloons while being completely of its time.”

Full details will be revealed at the New York show in two weeks, before the MkII XF goes on sale in Australia in November – just four months after the XE.