The future of Jaguar

‘Exciting, exuberant, emotive’ are the words Jaguar is using to describe the designs of these new cars, promising ‘they’ll be a copy of nothing’. He noted that JLR chief creative director Gerry McGovern divided Jaguar’s designers into teams of three, who between them came up with no less than 17 design proposals in three months, all of them modelled in full size. Glover says the ambition is to offer cars ‘people really desire,’ because of their design, craftsmanship and the power of the brand. Speculation concerning the other two models in the range is rife, but Glover says neither will be ‘a high-sided SUV’, JLR already offering plenty of choice with the Range Rover, Discovery and Defender models alongside which the new Jaguars will be sold.

In terms of driving characteristics, Glover says the new cars will be ‘engaging, and drive like a Jaguar’, by which he means ‘classic Jaguars of the past.’

He says also that the new range will not be launched unknowingly into the void. There’s been ‘a lot of market research’ into the target market, while the new models have been through extensive clinics with potential buyers. ‘We’ve got to manage the client thought-process,’ he says, while pointing out that JLR has experience of moving a product upmarket, the current Defender successfully replacing the original at more than double the price. Range Rovers have hardly stood still either.

Jaguars will be sold in the same showrooms as the Land Rover brands, but not in every dealer. Jaguar will also open its own boutique showrooms in Paris, London, Shanghai and Tokyo. New York is an ambition too if it can navigate American franchising laws. Improving the customer experience will be a major part of Jaguar’s rebirth. ‘We’re not reinventing car buying,’ says Glover, ‘but we are trying to elevate it. At these prices, customers want a relationship with the brand.’

That relationship is withering at the moment, as Jaguar progressively deletes its existing range. The XE and XF have already been cut from the Jaguar configurator while the F-Type ceased production in June, meaning that only existing stock is available. The E-Pace and I-Pace will continue to the end of the year, while the F-Pace will run through 2025. Jaguar will build up stocks of the I-Pace – ‘not a cheap car to build’, says Glover – to enable fleet sales in 2025.

Beyond what Glover describes as ‘a firebreak’, Jaguars will offer luxury electric vehicles from 2026, and nothing else. Ti’s prediction as to what the other two models will be? A sleek, coupé-like five-door SUV. And something wilder, and sportier, as a halo model. Will the new strategy work? That is an altogether tougher question to answer though, if you feel like it, by all means give us your thoughts in the comments below.

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