Time to reset. That is the Jaguar mantra and beneath the un-ending cloud of controversy, this is indeed a paradigm shift for the revered British brand. The uproar that the new campaign for Jaguar caused showed how we value this brand while having a place in our culture thanks to cars like the E-Type. However, with a troubled history including multiple owners and low sales, Jaguar never really managed to become a bona-fide Mercedes or BMW rival even with multiple attempts including the XF and X-Type. That said, Jaguar is now moving in a different direction fuelled by lofty ambitions to take on Bentley and Aston Martin. The brand will of course go all-electric but in trying to be a Porsche rival, the new direction did raise a lot of eyebrows but we would say that it is what the brand needed the most.
Jaguar has never been talked about this much and there was a lot of anticipation for the new car. Of course, this concept is not a preview but a few details would certainly trickle down to the first production car due in two years. The Jaguar Type 00 is a grand tourer that harks back to the coach-built era of generous proportions along with monolithic styling. Everything is new including the new minimalist styling but details like the absence of a rear window followed by the sculpted panoramic sunroof showcase the new direction of future Jaguars.
Type 00 indicates how Jaguar is now starting from scratch while the buff front end is somewhat juxtaposed against the svelte side profile. There is a yacht-like finish while the new Leaper logo finishes up this modern yet radical concoction. Then the rear‑facing cameras, much like the charging ports and front air intakes are hidden until needed. The interior is also modern, sleek, and devoid of unnecessary clutter. However, modernism and architecture have played a big role with three hand‑finished brass lines that run the length of the interior, with a central 3.2m‑long brass spine that splits a pair of floating instrument panels. There are also ‘totems’ inside the center console which customizes the mood of the interior.
This includes the ambient lighting and unique soundscape to the tailored screen graphics, reflecting the properties of the chosen material. Bespoke scents are also embedded as well as wool blends. Interestingly, the brass elements will change appearance as their oxides over time and have been untreated.
We will say that some of these details will trickle onto the first Jaguar- expected to be a four-door Porsche Taycan rival. However, in ethos, it would be a luxury GT with ample range and power but the focus would be on styling, materials, and a new sense of luxury championed by sister brand Range Rover.
