Apparently, the trendy new accessory for the wealthy is a hybrid sedan.  Reports this morning say Jaguar is building a hybrid-powered version of its XJ super-luxury sedan.  The news follows last week's official debut of the Mercedes S400 super-luxury hybrid sedan.

The Jag will not be a conventional hybrid, but rather an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle.  The U.K.'s AutoCar reports, "The breakthrough Jag XJ four-door will use similar tech to the Vauxhall Ampera/Chevy Volt. Those cars run on electric power from batteries that are charged mainly by hooking up to the grid, but are also capable of being recharged on the move by a small-capacity engine."  The car will reportedly travel 30 miles under battery power alone before activating its gasoline engine.  An all-new XJ is scheduled to appear in 2010, with the extended-range version to follow one year later.

Autoblog adds, "Jaguar will be able to introduce this new model now that it has approved for a new EU loan for developing greener cars. Jaguar already has an advantage over some of its competitors because the full-size XJ is comparatively light thanks to its aluminum construction."

Engadget reports that the green Jag "should deliver 57 mpg -- three times the current machine's 19 mpg combined figure."

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.