Jaguar’s new luxury electric car has divided opinion as the company revealed a first look at the model after coming under heavy criticism for rebranding its image.
Widespread controversy was sparked last month when the British car maker unveiled a series of dramatic changes ahead of becoming a fully electric brand.
This included a new bespoke logo, written as JaGUar, a new prancing “leaper” cat design and marketing slogans such as “delete ordinary”, “live vivid” and “copy nothing”.
Images of the new electric car, called the Type 00, were shared at an event in Miami in the US on Monday, with the model described by the brand as a “concept with bold forms and exuberant proportions to inspire future Jaguars”, and revealed in two colours: Miami Pink and London Blue.
This time the response has been intensely divided, with some heralding the new car as a “triumph” while others criticising it as “not the way to go” for Jaguar.
Hailing the vehicle as a “design triumph”, Daily Telegraph motoring correspondent Andrew English went so far as to say: “The Type 00 concept car, subject of four years of work, looked quite simply breathtaking.”
Others chimed in on social media to describe the model as a “beauty” and “amazing”, with another giving their verdict: “Love it.”
However, Beatrix Keim, director at the Center of Automotive Research, told the BBC, “This is not the way to go,” citing reasons such as a market already saturated with big cars – describing Jaguar’s new model as “too big, too unreal” – and that “electric cars cannot only be for the rich”.
She added: “Of course, Jaguar is a luxury brand. But I don’t think that this is the direction which Jaguar at current point of time needs, because it’s losing out on volume as well. And this is not a volume car.”
Many on social media went even further, with one user describing the new car as “appallingly bad” and another as an “ugly duckling”.
The Jaguar logo is laser-etched into a brass ingot on each side of the car, which themselves open to reveal rear-facing cameras that provide a view for the driver similar to conventional wing mirrors via screens located in the cabin.
Access to the cabin comes through two “butterfly” doors which reveal a large, spacious interior with three hand-finished brass lines which run the length of the interior.
The “floating” front seats are finished in a wool blend which is also used on the flooring and other areas.
Jaguar said the new car uses a dedicated electric platform which should return up to 478 miles of range while rapid charging will add 200 miles of charge in 15 minutes.
The production-ready version of the Type 00, which will be made in the UK, is set to be revealed late in 2025.
Although prices have not yet been confirmed, it is expected to cost more than £100,000.
Speaking at what he called the “reimagining” in Miami, chief creative officer Professor Gerry McGovern said the new brand was “influenced by the desire to recapture the essence of Jaguar’s original creative conviction”.
“Some may love it now, some may love it later and some may never love it. That’s what fearless creativity does,” he said, citing David Bowie, Vivienne Westwood and architect Richard Rogers as some of his creative heroes
“They were British trailblazers who challenged convention and had no desire to copy the norm.
“Controversy has always surrounded British creativity when it’s been at its best.”
The company said that both its cars and “culture” will “come to life” in a number of “exclusive brand stores”, with the first of these being located in the 8th arrondissement in Paris.
Jaguar will launch three new electric cars in 2026, having taken new cars off sale more than a year ago to focus on its rebrand.
