New 600bhp halo car will usher in brand’s luxury era, followed by two crossovers
MARK TISSHAW
The first car in the reborn Jaguar line-up will be a four-door grand tourer and the most powerful model in the brand’s history.
The new GT will be revealed in 2024 and on sale in 2025 as the first of three models in the new Jaguar family. Each will be underpinned by the all-new, EV-specific Jaguar Electrified Architecture (JEA).
Confirmed as part of an update to JLR’s Reimagine strategy (see overleaf), the new Jaguar will have a range of up to 430 miles and a starting price in excess of £100,000.
It is likely to have two motors for four-wheel drive and 600bhp. Targeted charging times are for 200 miles of range in 15 minutes.
With the GT now officially previewed for the first time, prototypes will hit the road this year. Virtual testing is nearly complete ahead of this crucial next development phase. It will then be unveiled in 2024.
JLR’s chief creative officer, Gerry McGovern, said the styling of the GT and subsequent models would be “the copy of nothing”, invoking the mantra of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons.
He called it an “honour” to be asked to lead the rebirth of “a brand as loved and cherished” as Jaguar and vowed to return it to its past positioning as a “true British luxury brand”.
He referenced the E-Type (1961) and XJS (1975) as cars that provided inspiration for how the reborn Jaguar would operate in creating shocking yet beautiful – although not retro – designs.
McGovern explained that the brand’s current range was created under a different strategy that it would no longer be following.
He said: “The E-Type in its time looked like it had dropped from space. The XJS was equally compelling and a copy of nothing. It started again and didn’t copy the E-Type. The designs of current Jaguars aren’t bad; the strategy was more one of universal appeal and chasing more mainstream premium, which made the cars more normal. We want to go back [to the old way, though]. It’s a complete reimagining.”
McGovern said that the four pillars of future Jaguar design will be exuberance, fearlessness, uniqueness and progressiveness.
“Being exuberant is a real task, as there’s nothing else around like that,” he said. “Jaguars need to have a jaw-dropping moment, a sense of ‘wow’.”
The three new Jaguar EVs are the result of a competition that encompassed everyone in JLR’s creative team across all brands. They were split into th
