Jaguar risks it all on copying nothing

Jaguar is saying goodbye to its past and hello to its future, but after a controversial rebrand, it’s time for the Type 00 concept to take centre stage. 

Jaguar hasn’t been a hot topic of conversation for years, especially not outside of the motoring community. Its rebrand has everyone talking though, and not all of it is positive.

Hardly any of it is positive really, but when the rebrand broke and a social media storm ensued, perhaps it was part of Jaguar’s plan to be bold, compelling and exuberant. Even Elon Musk got in on on the conversation, asking if Jaguar actually sells cars?

The initial advert was definitely controversial, with many claiming it was wokeness to the extreme, others choosing to take things too far and reveal their own prejudices. Was that what Jaguar’s creative team expected, even planned?

Speaking to the creative director of JLR, Richard Stevens, at an exclusive preview in the UK, it seems unlikely.

Stevens and his team were buzzing with euphoria at what they had created, a new Jaguar that is all about provenance rather than history, that promises to recapture the wow moment that the brand created with models like the E-Type and XJ-S.

There was talk of taking Jag back to its heyday, with its managing director, Rawdon Glover, describing it as being “a brand that carves its own path.”

For Glover and his team, that means changing people’s perceptions of the brand, being fearless and doing the unexpected. It’s bold, undoubtedly risky and definitely costly, not least of all for parent company Tata.

Spare a thought too for Jaguar dealers who are probably fed up with paying to rebrand, although many will become service agents as the company adopts a direct sales approach.

Among the many voices criticising the initial rebrand campaign were those asking why there was no car?

Well now there is, in the form of the concept Vision Type 00. The name is a link to the past with the use of the Type nomenclature, but apart from an engraved leaper on the side of the car, there’s little else to reflect Jag’s heritage.

Instead, Type 00 reflects a passion for architecture, for making a statement and as the company wants us to think, copying nothing.

JLR’s flamboyant chief creative officer, Gerry McGovern, says: “Type 00 does not conform to current EV design,” adding that it will not be loved by everyone.

It certainly won’t be loved by the purists, but this is a new Jag yet again and there’s no denying how dramatic the concept looks.

The new “jaGuar” device mark is prominent on the faux grille with its horizontal lines. Solid lines are a theme throughout, including what designers call the strikethrough, in particular the piano lines ahead of the bonnet, those on the roof, the rear and in the interior.

There’s a solidity to the design that is enhanced by large 23-inch wheels, the lack of a rear window and even a small piece of brass in the front wing that features an engraved Jaguar leaper and houses reversing cameras.

Hiding things away is a theme inside too, where stowage spaces open at a touch. Wide display screens fold neatly into the vast dashboard, rising up when needed. It’s all very minimalist luxury, but there are some surprises.

What looks like brass in the central blade is exactly that and there’s travertine stone between the front seats. It’s not a typical material for cars and probably won’t make it to the first production model late in 2025, but according to Jaguar’s exterior design manager, David Eburah, it fits with the architectural theme that was such an inspiration for the concept.

It is also a material connected with the Renaissance period, reflecting what the designers see as Jaguar’s own renaissance.

The interior is a very tranquil space though, definitely a place to sit back and relax while the electric motors quietly transport you to your destination.

There’s even a choice of totems that you can slot into the centre console that are preconfigured for lighting, sound and scents. It’s all a very different type of Jaguar.

There’s no denying that such a radical difference will lose Jag some of its traditional customers, as will the planned starting price of over R3-million.

Will it bring in the new customers the company so badly needs in order to succeed?

Only time will tell, but as Jaguar enters a new era for the umpteenth time, it’s taking a leap of faith that, if nothing else, is going to be fascinating to watch.