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.
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.
