Looking beyond the concept, the buzzwords and controversial videos to the heart of this new era of Jaguar there is a very clear problem.
The Jaguar Type 00 (pronounced type zero zero) was revealed in Miami today, debuting the bold new look that the British brand is embracing as it tries to reinvent itself as a premium luxury rival to the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
While its colour and controversial teaser video created plenty of headlines and discussion (which arguably makes it a success, even if people weren’t being particularly positive) Jaguar management says its ‘copy nothing’ ethos is directly from the brand’s founder, Sir William Lyons.
READ MORE: Why Jaguar is radically changing
The Type 00 is a concept car that previews the brand’s new design direction, or as Jaguar officially called it – “The physical manifestation of Jaguar’s new creative philosophy – Exuberant Modernism.”
Jaguar Land Rover’s chief creative officer, Professor Gerry McGovern provided the sort of dramatic description you’d expect from a designer, saying: “Type 00 is a pure expression of Jaguar’s new creative philosophy. It has an unmistakable presence. This is the result of brave, unconstrained creative thinking, and unwavering determination. It is our first physical manifestation and the foundation stone for a new family of Jaguars that will look unlike anything you’ve ever seen. A vision which strives for the highest level of artistic endeavour.”
Whether you love or hate the dramatic looking Type 00 isn’t really an issue for Jaguar. Nor is the question whether luxury buyers are actually interested in electric vehicles (although that will be an issue later down the track). No, the biggest problem with it is it’s just a concept car and the production version, which will actually have four doors and four seats, is still nearly a year away.
Jaguar says the production version won’t be revealed until “late 2025” by which point the brand won’t have been selling new cars for the better part of a year.
The core idea behind a car company is, to put it simply, sell cars. Assuming the production version of the Type 00 goes on sale in Europe before the end of 2025, that will mean it will be seven years between new models. That’s an extraordinarily long time for a major car maker to not introduce a new model, and will no doubt have a major impact on the brand’s finances and market position.
The only positive spin you could put on it is that such a long break will give Jaguar a better chance to distance itself from its former self and this new, more extroverted and colourful version that produces uber-luxurious electric vehicles. Whether this new Jaguar appeals to the kind of buyer the brand is hoping to attract, luxury buyers who have an aversion for electric vehicles, will be the next problem the brand faces – once it gets cars back in production.
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