No modern car has had such a troubled birth as Jaguar’s new Type 01. Critics panned the design of the concept car that preceded it, the Type 00, when it was first revealed in 2024 as part of a soup-to-nuts rebrand. Traditionalists bemoaned the marque’s decision to replace all its existing models with a radical and all-new EV – and also dump the leaping cat on the bonnet and the growling face on the centre of the steering wheel in favour of a soft, golden double-J logo.
The ‘Copy Nothing’ advertisements, which featured a diverse troupe of androgynous dancers, rather than the car, were dismissed as ‘woke’. Gerry McGovern, chief creative officer of Jaguar owner Jaguar Land Rover and the driving force behind the revamp, abruptly left the company shortly after the Type 00 was unveiled. Neither he nor the firm has explained why.
Market analysts pointed out that the first concepts for the new four-door grand tourer were unveiled just as the market for luxury EVs slumped. Sales of pure EVs from Rolls-Royce, Porsche and Audi have been disappointing. Lamborghini and Bentley have scrapped bold plans for their own new EVs. Ferrari’s recent launch of its first fully electric car, the Luce, received a reception that one might charitably describe as ‘mixed’.
[See also: Why is the first electric Ferrari dividing the brand’s clientele?]
Related
When I flew home from Miami and the launch of the concept car almost two years ago, I thought there was no way out of the last chance saloon for Jaguar. I have changed my mind. Why? First, the car.
It is without doubt the most exciting new car to be launched in the past decade and the best-looking EV ever. Most car-makers create concept cars with wild flourishes and then dial down the design for the production car. Jaguar has done the opposite. The four-door production car is more dramatic and more stylish than what I saw in Miami.
[See also: A first look at the ‘most car-like’ Range Rover yet]
Jaguar has listened to its critics and softened the nose of the car and dispensed with the vibrant pink colour it used for the concept in favour of silver. It has introduced exhilarating features, such as the sharp-cut shoulder line, but softened its muscularity with sculptural forms: soft curved lines on the bonnet and the rear haunches dissolve into the sheet metal. Light flows over the curves and lines as the car moves, creating light and shade.
Content from our partners
Jaguar’s designers have retained the long bonnet, huge 23-inch wheels and low roofline which creates a rearward-leaning, fastback silhouette that is a hallmark of great Jaguars. The exterior decoration is spectacular. There are cross lines at the front and the rear that are picked up in ‘piano keys’ on the bonnet and echoed in the stitching in the interior.
[See also: Gstaad Guy x Bentley: ‘If you know, you know’]
Some – even at Jaguar – argued the innovations were impossible. ‘But every time someone said “No”, we said: “We’re going to figure out how to do it.” And we did,’ says Santino Pietrosanti, director of Jaguar UK. The car boasts 360 patents.
The cabin is free of all the tech that makes the most fancy cars look like Spaceship Mercury. Instead, there are soft wools in neutral tones, matt brass accents and a central spine which gives each passenger their own distinct space. On the top of the spine flaps open up to reveal cabin comfort controls and brass-coloured storage and cup holders. The carpet runs up from the floor onto the lower part of the interior of the doors, as it did on old Jaguars. The speakers – all 38 of them – are hidden in panels and the headrests to keep the lines clean.
[See also: Does Lamborghini’s newest supercar live up to its forebears?]
The second reason for my optimism is the market for luxury EVs. It might – just might – be beginning to change. Frank-Steffen Walliser, the boss of Bentley who has just launched his marque’s first EV, the Torcal, insists ‘our timing is perfect. The acceptance of the electric car has gone up, as the range has gone up and charge time has gone down.’ Type 01 has a range of about 430 miles and it will take only 13 minutes to juice the battery enough to guarantee 200 miles, Jaguar says.
Spiralling petrol prices have prompted many consumers to go electric. Figures for September of this year show a 36 per cent year-on-year rise in UK sales of battery-electric cars – the total of 99,199 is the highest ever for a single month. Petrol car sales fell 6.7 per cent to 131,861, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
I have not driven the car yet, but those who have report that the 1,015 horsepower drivetrain – Jaguar’s most powerful ever – coupled with the air suspension and active damper systems deliver Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons’ desire for ‘Grace, Space, Pace’. It hits 60mph in three seconds and only takes another four seconds to reach almost 120mph. The four-wheel steering promises to make it remarkably nimble for such a big car.
[See also: ‘A big name with a big back story’: how Richard Mille built a €200,000 bike]
And big it is – 2m wide and 5m long. (Despite this, the rear seats and boot are cramped.) Its heft won’t be to some European customers’ taste when it goes on sale next year but it should work in the key US and Chinese markets.
And it is priced to sell; at £130,000 it is £40,000 less than the Bentley Torcal and cheaper than many Range Rovers. For my money, the Type 01 is a far more attractive proposition than both.
Confronting the critics two years ago, Rawdon Glover, managing director of Jaguar, said: ‘We wanted to start a debate — to get people thinking and talking about Jaguar in a different way.’ He achieved that goal. The problem was the reaction was mainly negative. I predict that will change when people see this car for themselves.
Welcome back, big cat.
