Jaguar Reborn

Gaydon, UK — As the car world moves – albeit more slowly as of late – to full electrification, Jaguar is jumping on the EV train with both feet. Unlike other brands who have made a commitment to full “electrification” by x year – a label that can be applied to everything from mild hybrids to full EVs, depending on who you ask – Jaguar is going through a brand re-birth of sorts come 2026, when the first of a line of all-electric vehicles arrives for the ’27 model year. While partner brands Range Rover, Defender and Discovery will continue to offer gas-powered vehicles, Jaguar will not. It’s a change that the brand itself sees as an integral part of their future going forward.

“It feels like we’ve got to evolve,” said Rawdon Glover, managing director at Jaguar. “We chased volume in the past but generally, it wasn’t successful. The direction we’ll be taking now is of value over volume.”
“We will not succeed in doing what we need to do by taking really tentative steps or not having the strength of our own convictions.”

According to Glover, in addition to being an all-EV brand, Jaguar will be moving upmarket. That may sound a little strange; we’ve always considered Jaguar to be a luxury brand, but on a recent press trip to their HW in Gaydon, UK, they were more inclined to call it a “premium” brand, with competition from Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Genesis, BMW and so on. The new Jaguar cars will be aiming higher up the food chain, with brands like Bentley in their crosshairs. That may sound like a risky move into rarefied air, but Jaguar is convinced there are legions of untapped customers – mainly in the young, wealthy professional sphere – that don’t mind paying big dollars for a classic name, so long as it comes with necessary tech on-board. And according to Jaguar, these folks love their EVs.

This isn’t a case of a car company doing a simple 180 and just starting to build only EVs, though. They are transforming the entire brand, from the logos used, to the styling signatures – even the font being used is all new and bespoke to Jaguar. The lettering on their new logo is a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, a bid that alludes to the fact that this new Jaguar hasn’t forgotten its roots, a history that’s grounded in the “copy nothing” mantra. To prove just how individual and unique thigs will be at Jag going forward, they are debuting an all-new concept at Mami Art Week next month, where they will also be showcasing the new brand elements such as a redesigned “leaper” emblem, new colour choices and a new “strikethrough” design signature (see gallery below).

In addition to that, they will be opening new spaces in urban centres all over the world, where Jaguar customers both new and returning can relax and be ensconced in the world of Jag. The company is adamant that these won’t be replacing their current retailer space (there are around 200 stores in North America), but rather to compliment them. Customers will be able to treat the new stores as a point-of-sale, however, as well as through an all-new app.

Of course branding is one thing, but Jaguar remains a car brand and in addition to the concept – “design study”, as they’re calling it – they’ll be revealing in Miami, they’ve also released photos of a heavily-camouflaged example of the first production car to be produced with the new branding. The camouflage does hide certain elements but through these images, we can see a large, cab-rearward grand-touring type of vehicle with an aggressively-sloping rear deck reminiscent of the classic Jaguar E-Type/XKE Coupe. Add what look like must be at least 23-inch wheels, and I imagine a car with some proper presence.

Which is good, because it’s time for Jaguar to reassert their presence on the automotive landscape and getting a fresh start like this could be just the ticket. Jaguar is a legendary brand, and we look forward to seeing how that brand equity id going to look in this brave new world.