- Jaguar’s boss finds the brand’s EV transition “frustrating.”
- The company hasn’t had any new models in several years.
- We’ll get a look at its new four-door EV later this year.
Jaguar is going through some changes. Earlier this year, the British automaker said it would kill most of its current lineup ahead of its transition to exclusively building electric vehicles by 2025. It’s part of the “Reimagine” strategy JLR initiated over three years ago that has yet to produce any new cars for the Jaguar brand, which its boss has said has been “hugely frustrating” in a Top Gear interview.
Jaguar’s managing director Rawdon Glover told the publication that this transition is a “complete brand reinvention,” with the automaker wanting to move upmarket, limit production, and focus on three vehicles in its lineup. That’s plenty of work on its own, but Jaguar is also shifting to build EVs.
This has presented its own challenges, as new products take time to develop. EVs aren’t like the combustion cars the company has been building for decades. Glover said that Jaguar needs “a whole suite of EV services,” which is especially true for a brand attempting to make more money by selling fewer, pricier models.
We’ll get our first look at Jaguar’s new direction later this year, an electric four-door GT that will supposedly cost over £100,000 ($130,755 at today’s exchange rate). It will ride on the new Jaguar Electrified Platform, the same as the two upcoming electric SUVs.
Jaguar’s new GT car is the brand’s first major move upmarket. This car (the company hopes) will help elevate Jaguar to Porsche and Bentley status at a time when consumer interest, even at the top end of the market, is cooling on electric vehicles.