Introduction
Jaguar has been in the news for spicy reasons. We don’t want to underestimate the power of attention whether it creates positive or negative sentiments, but sales are heavily dependent on cars being appealing to a wide audience. Jaguar rebranded the logo from the famous black cat to a font reminiscent of a cosmetic brand. Going by their colour choices, the impression strengthens. However, we were waiting for a car from this rebrand, which has finally arrived. It is the Jaguar Type 00.
Styling
The styling of the Type 00 is similar to the Rolls Royce Spectre or other top-dollar GTs. It is the British marquee’s first Electric GT! Much has been said about the shiny Pink but Jaguar has shown a Shade known as “London Blue”. According to Jaguar, the new design policy narrows down to Exuberance and Modernism. Surprisingly, Type 00 has curves and an impressive presence. However, it is safe to assume that when the production model debuts, it won’t be close to the drastic proportions of the Type 00.
It is blatantly visible that, thanks to legislation, some aspects will be removed when the production model debuts. The Electric GT will come with mirrors or equivalent camera-simulated mirrors. Not to mention, the rear opaque window can be axed as well. Jaguar could’ve made it more aesthetically pleasing and given it a touch of the E-Type character beyond just a few lines for the sake of it. From certain angles, the Type 00 may look like a shooting brake. If you are wondering why is the latest Jag named Type 00, it is supposed to be the start of the new “Electric Type”. The Type 00 styling may not be to everyone’s taste but it has evoked the Marmite Effect for the vast majority.
Interior
The interior is just as drastic when it comes to the use of exquisite materials. The inside doesn’t resemble a car interior but is reminiscent of the Modern Pods designed for accommodation. However, the use of unique materials gives it a touch of flair as compared to the interior you get in some other cars. The interior showcases that minimalism can be projected luxuriously as well! As you open the butterfly doors, you get to view the “spine” made of brass which separates the driver and passenger sides with a partition for the dashboard. The driver and passenger get individual slide-out screens! Keen-eyed viewers will also notice that the seats appear to be floating as they are attached to the centre console and finished in stitch-free wool blend fabric. The centre console is made up of travertine stone. The storage compartments are also well hidden and glide open to serve their purpose! The pattern in the interior hides the soundbar and gives the interior a vibe of being an art gallery as opposed to a car.
Addressing The Controversial Rebrand
A lot has been said about Jaguar’s recent branding and “copy nothing” campaign. However, it is important to remember that before this explosive attention, Jaguar was pretty irrelevant when it came to selling cars. This attention, even if negative, will attract attention which can generate tangible sales if we were to believe Jaguar. Surprisingly, Jaguar is committing to their plan, when most car companies seem to ease their plans into electrification. Jaguar has maintained that this is just a concept and the real 2+2 GT is supposed to come out in 2025 and will be at least Rs.1.2 crores (before taxes!) globally. The production version will debut with the Jaguar Electric Architecture. It is important to note that the details are still hidden but the brand targets a range of 770km on WLTP range. The architecture will also allow the battery to charge to 321km in 15 minutes! This model will be launched in India but not before 2026 or 2027 as the brand will test its production car response.
Conclusion
The Jaguar rebranding caused a lot of stir amongst purists. However, these purists forget to put the money where their mouth is and make the brands struggle financially. It isn’t a mistake of the brand to attract buyers beyond the core and make it feasible to stay in the business. If anyone needed this attention, it was Jaguar. Now, it is their time to show how they will capitalize on this golden opportunity. We would’ve loved the brand to have a mix of ICE and EVs as that would’ve given the enthusiasts more options. However, we hope we aren’t the only ones to ponder how enthusiastic a 5 Metre Electric Land Yacht is.
