• Published

Two years ago, JLR relaunched Jaguar into a blizzard of controversy. Its bizarre teaser ad was described as "woke" and its "Barbie pink" concept car was ridiculed.

Now, the first of its new models has appeared in public for the first time. The all-electric Type 01, unveiled in New York, represents a radical new direction for the classic brand.

The car itself is an imposing four-door "Grand Tourer", with a long bonnet that deliberately harks back to Jaguar's emblematic 1960s E-Type.

But it marks a gamble for JLR, which has invested billions reinventing Jaguar and is facing mixed reactions over the new car's design and the brand's all-electric strategy.

The new model's electric motors are potent, producing about 1000 horsepower and allowing it to accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. JLR says it has a range, at "sustained highway speed", of up to 320 miles.

The company describes it as the "most technically advanced, powerful and aerodynamic Jaguar ever engineered".

However, it comes at a hefty price tag, with a minimum cost of £130,000 ($172,426). In the US, the Type 01 has a starting price of $130,500.

Under normal circumstances, the launch of a car like this might generate few headlines. But in this case the attention has been much greater, and for good reason.

'Woke' furore

In 2024 Jaguar unveiled its new identity to the public. The first step was a surreal advert, showing models in a range of bizarre and brightly coloured outfits. There was a new Jaguar logo - but no cars in sight.

Two weeks later, Jaguar's denim-clad design chief Gerry McGovern took to a Miami stage to unveil a pair of radical concept cars, resplendent in Miami Pink and London Blue colour schemes. "Jaguar has no desire to be loved by everybody," he quipped.

The event was meant to herald Jaguar's future as a luxury all-electric marque, but it triggered a furious backlash in the press and on social media.

Critics claimed JLR was betraying its heritage in favour of going "woke". Even the colour chosen for the launch was derided as "Barbie pink", as culture wars erupted around it.

The reception appeared to catch JLR by surprise. The reinvention of Jaguar as a luxury electric brand was part of a wide-ranging strategy set out by the company in early 2023, in which it pledged to invest £15bn in new models and technologies.

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At the time, Jaguar itself was struggling. The badge, which was once an intrinsic part of Swinging Sixties British cool, had lost its lustre. Where in the past it had supplied E-Types to Brigitte Bardot and Steve McQueen, it now struggled to sell upmarket saloons and SUVs to middle-ranking corporate executives, who generally preferred Audis and BMWs.

"Jaguar's core demographic, despite the uproar, gave up on the brand years ago, so they effectively had nothing to lose," explains Matthias Schmidt of Schmidt Automotive Research.

The unveiling of the Type 01 on Tuesday was met with mixed reactions, with some on social media criticising the new car.

"Looks like a Cybertruck and a Bentley Continental had an illegitimate child," Facebook user Ken Katch said, referring to the Tesla pick-up, known for its divisive design.

Craig Kinnersley, who runs a luxury car consultancy, wrote on LinkedIn that it is an "unmitigated catastrophe" that looks like a hearse and lacks any "memorable Jaguar flourish".

Car journalist Steve Fowler said the Type 01 "looks incredible" and makes him "proud to be British".

"Not everyone will like it - that's fine. Not everyone has to!" he wrote on X.

Alistair Weaver from vehicle sales platform Edmunds said Jaguar deserved some credit for the Type 01's looks, despite it being "polarising".

"If Jaguar designed a car that looked like anything else, it would have had no hope," Weaver told the BBC.

But the firm faces an uphill battle in the US, where EVs are becoming less popular, he added.

'Last throw of the dice'

JLR wound down production of its old Jaguar models in 2024 and 2025. The "woke" row, while it possibly made life briefly uncomfortable for the company's leadership, did at least keep the Jaguar name in the public consciousness at a time when it was selling very few cars.

"It brought Jaguar from the back pages to the front pages, given that it was dying in a crowded international market," says Schmidt. "Everyone is now talking about what would have been another boring product."

The GT is expected to be the first of three new electric designs from Jaguar.

Since that event in Miami two years ago, McGovern has left the company, JLR has parted ways with the agency behind the controversial rebranding campaign, and the company also has a new chief executive.

But the future of Jaguar itself still hangs in the balance.

"I think it really is a last throw of the dice," says Fowler. "JLR has struggled to make serious money with Jaguar in the past, and that's what it's all about."

The question now is whether enough buyers can be found willing to pay £130,000 for a relatively distinctive upmarket electric car, in a market where they can also choose models from the likes of Porsche, Mercedes-AMG or even fast-growing Chinese brands such as Denza.

"Forget the controversy, the culture wars and the pink concept car," says Ginny Buckley of the electric car website Electrifying.com.

"What ultimately matters is whether Jaguar has built something extraordinary enough to justify blowing up everything it stood for before."

She believes the car is good enough to silence critics, but admits "the next challenge will be getting people to buy it".

Steve Fowler agrees. "The car is good enough to do it," he says. "Whether the Jaguar brand is good enough remains to be seen."

• • Published7 September