Jaguar has presented its new electric concept car, which, like a recent controversial teaser film, has divided opinion.
The new Type 00 automobile is “exciting” and “absolutely stunning,” according to some social media users, while another urged Jaguar’s designers to “go back to the drawing board.”
In preparation for its relaunch as an electric-only brand, the automaker, undergoing the largest transformation in its history, unveiled a new logo and a so-called “social media tease” last month.
Although many criticized the promotional video’s lack of an actual car, some commended the company for its daring new strategy.
In anticipation of its 2026 relaunch as an electric-only brand, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) ceased selling new Jaguar vehicles in the UK last month.
Sales of its vehicles have been falling in recent years, and some have claimed that the rebranding is a risk with little risk because its conventional, heritage image does not appear to be working.
The Type 00 vehicle, shown at an art fair in Miami, is a concept car and will not be produced for public sale.
Nonetheless, it provides insight into the trajectory of the brand’s upcoming models, which are anticipated to retail for more than £100,000 when they launch.
Gerry McGovern, Jaguar’s chief creative officer, expressed his satisfaction with the attention his new course was receiving.
“It has already stirred emotions and it will continue to,” he stated. “Jaguar has no desire to be loved by everybody.”
Karl Brauer, a car industry analyst, was skeptical. He told the press that the business is “sacrificing Jaguar’s past to the hopes of a better future. “I don’t think it’s going to work.
The corporation, which has existed for almost a century, asked people to “trust and reserve judgment” regarding its rebranding last month.
Enormous
“Too big, too unreal” is how Beatrix Keim, head of the Centre of Automotive Research, described Jaguar’s concept car to the media.
Given that there are already large cars on the market and that “electric cars cannot only be for the rich,” she stated, “this is not the way to go.”
“Jaguar is a luxury brand, of course,” she continued. However, since Jaguar is also losing volume, I don’t believe this is the course the company needs right now. Furthermore, this isn’t a volume automobile.
However, according to Andy Palmer, a former Aston Martin CEO and former chief operating officer of Nissan, Jaguar “has been failing as a brand for a long time now” and needs to reform.
He acknowledged that the new design was “huge,” but referred to it as “a brave change of direction.”
“The rhetoric around electric cars has to be one of how you move the cars to being more affordable,” he stated. “Jaguar is an outlier.”
But he also said: “Good luck. I really hope it succeeds.”
JLR stated that it made the conscious choice to “create some breathing space” before to revealing its new design by ceasing to sell new Jaguar vehicles in the UK last month.
As part of the approach, it kept all three British operations operating while announcing the shift to electric vehicles in 2021.
Jaguar has been the weakest link within the JLR group, which Tata Motors has owned for nearly ten years.
Jaguar sold 180,000 vehicles in 2018, although just 67,000 were sold the previous year.
Earlier this year, JLR revealed its best profits since 2015, driven by the Range Rover and Land Rover Defender.
