Much has been written about Jaguar’s rebrand. In the car world, it was perhaps the most talked-about event of 2024, with the story making the leap from social media into mainstream media, as everyone seemed to have an opinion on it. Only 32 percent of Carscoops readers liked the company’s new look in our own poll, while Jaguar’s own Chief Creative Officer reportedly had to tell journalists that his team had “not been sniffing the white stuff.”

Aside from the new logos and bold expressions of change, what seemed to upset people the most was a somewhat ambiguous advert that featured no cars – just models wearing loud clothes with bold colors. This caused some commenters to wonder if the Jaguar of old had gone “woke.”

Poll: Do Your Love Or Hate Jaguar’s New Look?

But now that the dust has settled, and with the conversation finally coming back to the all-new car it will offer, Jaguar’s boss has spoken openly about that controversial relaunch. Speaking to Auto Express, the brand’s managing director Rawdon Glover admits that the company misjudged how the messaging would be received but stands by the need to shake things up.

Jag Doesn’t Want To Push Old Customers Away

One of the biggest criticisms leveled at Jaguar when the campaign kicked off was that they risked alienating the traditional, stiff-upper-lip customer base. While it was predictable that a number of Jaguar fans would be turned off by the switch to EVs, no one could have predicted how different the brand appears to have changed.

However, its managing director wants to set the record straight: Jaguar wasn’t trying to be woke. “We definitely weren’t saying ‘we’re about diversity’,” explains Rawdon Glover. “The creative concepts and the individuals were chosen because they were very modern, striking, and bold. And we presented a car that was very exuberant, bold, and modern.”

“If an individual [posts] ‘I really don’t like this because it’s woke’ then the algorithms just feed that,” he added. “So a whole load of people commented about us who we certainly didn’t set out to inflame or upset: they’re not a target audience that will ever buy the car. But there’s a difference between Jaguar as a brand and JLR as a corporate entity, which is absolutely an advocate for DE&I.”

Read: Jaguar’s Type 00 Makes Real-Life Video Debut

He reiterated that JLR is an advocate for DEI but the core message of the Jaguar relaunch was lost during the social media hullabaloo. That now infamous video, sans car, perhaps led to an information gap, which was quickly picked up by social media algorithms. There was no explanation as to why the Jag of old had to be reinvented, nor was there information about the new push upmarket.

“Social media is not a great channel for nuance and explanation,” says Glover. “It’s much more binary: I love it, I hate it, it’s this, it’s that. Delivering that message and taking people on that journey requires us to tell that story over and over again. That’s my key learning from it.”

While sticking to his guns that the company needed a fresh clientele, Glover says that it was never its intention to alienate their existing customers. “What got lost is that we do care about our existing clients. Why would you not want to bring as many of your current base along as possible? We’ve been investing a lot of time bringing our existing fans, customers, and classic enthusiasts along on the journey – it’s really important to us.”

The Change That Is Needed

Perhaps Jaguar doesn’t want to push old customers away with their marketing efforts. However, it’s hard to deny that their new upmarket strategy won’t do that for them. With only the F-Pace still in production, global car sales sunk to just 33,000 last year, way down from its 181,000 record in 2018. But the automaker is ready to get used to a new normal, with Glover claiming they’re comfortable selling even less once their new range goes on sale next year.

And sell fewer cars they probably will. With the new four-door GT expected to cost between $140,000 and $170,000 when it launches, Jaguar anticipates that roughly 85% of its current customers will be priced out—leaving just 15% to make the switch. But as Glover points out, the old strategy wasn’t doing the brand any favors anyway.

Yes, that record year of 181,000 units may seem impressive in isolation, but rather less so when you consider that BMW managed to sell 2.1 million cars in the same year. “We do need to create and attract a new client base,” Glover conceded. “Changing brand perception takes a long time. And it needs to be underpinned by a super-compelling product because marketing will only take you so far.”

Still Going EV-Only

The first production car that heralds its new era has yet to be fully revealed, but Jaguar promises it will embrace the design language seen in the Type 00. For the electric grand tourer, Jaguar hopes to achieve a range of 430 miles (692 km) on the more stringent EPA test cycle and much faster recharge times. Part of how it will achieve this is from a new Nickel Manganese Cobalt battery being developed by Agratas, a company owned by Jaguar parent company Tata. The car will ride on an in-house-designed platform, roll on 23-inch wheels, and will be the most aerodynamic model the firm has ever made.

Glover is keen to point out that, unlike some its rivals, Jaguar will not backtrack on its promise to sell only EVs: “No, we won’t be putting a plug-in hybrid in that lovely long bonnet,” he pledged. The commitment comes at a time when the likes of Porsche, Volvo, and Lotus are all reconsidering their options when it comes to the future of EVs.

Other details revealed include how it’s not just the car that is going upmarket, but the whole buying experience, too. There will be new retail and experience stores with a lounge-like feel. There’s even talk of prospective buyers being served food created by Michelin-starred chefs and that the new cars will feature optioned virtual reality as an option. However, Jaguar will also have much fewer dealers, with its network being shrunk by around 75 percent.

Jaguar’s polarizing Type 00 Concept made an unexpected appearance on the streets of Paris, drawing attention with a fresh new color and driving under its own power for the first time. Meanwhile, Jaguar’s Managing Director, Rawdon Glover, has revealed new details about the brand’s upcoming fully electric four-door GT, set to launch in late 2025.

The two-door concept appeared in a new color called French Ultramarine, offering a stark contrast to the flashy Miami Pink and softer London Blue hues seen previously. The prototype retained its silver-accented lower bodywork and the same alloy wheels, preserving the dramatic aesthetic that has fueled debate since its reveal.

More: New Jaguar Type 00 Electric Sedan Filmed For The First Time

As seen in the videos, the Jaguar Type 00 was carefully driven through public streets before coming to a stop outside a Paris Fashion Week venue. The butterfly doors lifted slowly, and Irish actor Barry Keoghan stepped out of the passenger seat, grabbing his jacket from the futuristic trunk.

Keoghan’s presence all but guaranteed extra media attention for Jaguar, as he later posed for additional photos in the driver’s seat, highlighting the light-colored two-seater interior. The event took place on Sunday, March 9.

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What’s Next? Jaguar’s Electric GT

Just days before the Type 00’s Paris appearance, Jaguar’s Managing Director, Rawdon Glover, shared new insights with Autocar about the company’s first production model of its electric reinvention, which will translate the Type 00’s design into a super-luxurious four-door sedan.

Glover confirmed that the upcoming four-door GT will retain the concept’s radical styling. He said that Jaguar designers and engineers worked together to ensure that the EV’s shape does not compromise safety, performance, or aerodynamics. Recent spy shots suggest that the production EV will have a long hood, slim LEDs, a sporty roofline, and a wide stance.

More: Here’s Everything We Know About The 2026 Jaguar Type 01

For the interior, Glover said that Jaguar focused more on the “design, craftsmanship and engineering, and how things drive, rather than pure tech”, leaving the latter for Chinese rivals. The goal is to create “an amazing place to be in”, with the technology being “there when you need it”.

All future Jaguar models will ride on the new Jaguar Electric Architecture, which is exclusively designed for EVs. Electric motors and battery packs will be shared with other JLR products, but they will be combined with unique design and chassis setup. For the production GT, the company is targeting a range of up to 430 miles (692 km) and an output of 956 hp (735 kW / 1,000 PS) in its most powerful form.

According to Glover, the team spent days behind the wheel of the “greatest Jaguars of all time”, looking for inspiration in fine-tuning the new EV’s setup. Their goal was to create a car “you can drive confidently at pace for extended periods and still come out feeling great”. The big boss promises that the resulting vehicle “brings all of the very best of what a Jaguar should be as a driving car.”

Jaguar’s boss himself has taken a prototype of the GT up to 160 mph (258 km/h) at the brand’s Gaydon facility, calling it the most fun he’s had since taking the helm of the company. “It was stunning in terms of its speed, its acceleration, its performance, but also how it delivered the power with a real sense of character. The chassis team are really excited about the possibilities of the vehicle.”

Following the debut of the four-door GT in late 2025, Jaguar will expand its range with two more models, which are expected to be a luxury sedan and an SUV.

Speaking about the future lineup, Glover said: “The GT’s job is to say: Jaguar is here and can command a price point in excess of £100,000 (130,000), because the product concept and the brand is capable of doing that. The other vehicles do different things in terms of accessing a slightly broader audience, slightly greater volume, or whatever else. They have different roles.”

Unlike other automakers that have backtracked from their zero-emission goals, Glover made it clear that Jaguar will remain an EV-only brand: “We made the decision back in 2021 to have an electric architecture dedicated to us. There isn’t the opportunity to put a V8 into it or something else. We’re committed to being electric.”