You don’t have to be a diehard car bore to have noticed it’s been a bust period at Jaguar.Whilst JLR on the whole has seen fairly healthy sales figures over recent years, the amount of Jaguars leaving the forecourts in 2022 plunged by 28.5 percent compared to the previous year.
As a result, drastic measures needed to be made – really drastic measures. Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned that Jag, already seen as a premium brand by most motorists, are going even further upmarket.
Their new models, which will go on sale for the 2026 model year, will be fully-electric and rub shoulders with the likes of Porsche, Lotus, and high-end models from Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
Accompanied with a teaser trailer that featured a whole host of straight-faced fashion models but absolutely nothing on four wheels, Jaguar set the world talking, albeit perhaps for all the wrong reasons.
But, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and about two weeks after Jaguar announced their make-or-break rebrand, drivers got to see the first model from the new UK company.
Called the Type 00, the new Jag is currently just a concept model – not a production car drivers will be able to go into the showroom and drive away in.
As a result, some of the features throughout the car will be a little exaggerated compared to what will be in the showrooms, but generally reflect the direction the company wants to take its cars in.
But as concept cars go, the Type 00 is certainly out there. The main reaction I have seen on social media is the fact it’s bright pink – a colour the new Jaguar seems to be using quite a bit as a replacement to the iconic British Racing Green.
Like many drivers, I wouldn’t exactly rush out to buy a neon-like pink car, but I would wager that is all part of the plan. In a sea of white, silver, and grey cars, off-the-wall colours are getting even more distinctive and, to drivers wanting to make a statement, particularly eye-catching.
As for the car itself, the Jaguar Type 00 is a fastback coupe with a shade of Rolls-Royce Spectre featured in the side profile. That said, there is a surprising amount of heritage, too – particularly the long, low bonnet and the wide hips where the rear wheel arches meet the C-pillars, which are both staples of the iconic E-Type.
However, the Type 00 isn’t entirely a case of Jaguar copying up their old notes. The company have put a huge focus on sharp and thin lines and ridges, particularly for the headlights, around the windscreen, and even throughout the interior, which is divided by quite an imposing-looking bar.
That said, if there is one thing that I dislike about the new Jag concept, it would have to be those large rectangular blocks of horizontal lines.
Taking up most of the rear end, some have likened it to an air conditoning unit, whilst I think the dummy grille on the front end gives it a piggy nose – a little like an original Ford Transit.
Naturally, the new Jaguar Type 00 concept has generated a lot of conversation. However, unlike the rebrand and that teaser, it seems to have a lot of fans as well as foes.
It’s worth remembering that this is not a production ready car (those are still undergoing testing ahead of next year), nor will every single Jaguar be painted pink. Instead, this is just a car designed to get people talking, and it has certainly been successful at that.
Whether the whole rebrand is taking Jaguar in the correct direction is entirely up to car buyers.
But while there are plenty of elements I dislike, it is worth remembering that in 1961 Jaguar made a very similarly bold move when they launched the E-Type – a fastback coupe that, too, took a very different approach from previous models.
