Five things you need to know about the Jaguar rebrand

Two weeks ago, things were quiet for Jaguar.  

Of course, there was the announcement back in July, the British car-maker would end production of its I-PACE and E-PACE SUVs by the end of 2024, leaving just one model: the large F-PACE SUV, which some suggest will expire by 2026.

Until then, Jaguar says there are examples of all three SUVs on the way to Australia, and the F-PACE will be around until at least 2025.

Like many other manufacturers (some of which have since back-pedaled), the plan for Jaguar was always to move toward an all-electric future, and it has promised to do so by 2025.

But on Tuesday November 19, it released its new brand identity and it’s safe to say, few expected it to be the rebrand of, dare we say, the century.

It came via an ambiguous video on social media, featuring people but no cars, followed by this week’s reveal of its first concept car – the Jaguar Type 00 – at Miami Art Week.

Now, everyone is asking the same thing: is this whole thing a marketing stroke of genius or a dumpster fire we’ve all got the front row seats to?

Either way, the new-Jaguar is here, and the world is watching.

ICYMI, here’s what you need to know.

It’s been criticised… A LOT

Car brands don’t do this.

Sure, they shift direction, promise to go electric or, like MG Motor, get bought out by an affluent Chinese company and hire a new design team but Jaguar has gone bigger.

It’s a complete transformation.

But while online pundits have labelled it a ‘PR stunt’, the brand is simply thrilled it’s getting so much traction and few things unite people quite like negative emotions, which has been the overwhelming reaction.  

Akin to a teenager rebranding themselves after a bad break-up, the car-maker even reset its social media accounts, creating an entirely new image based on its ‘Copy Nothing’ ethos.

Its YouTube account hasn’t been wiped completely, although it did come out of an almost-12-month hiatus following the launch of new-Jaguar and its strange teaser.

For many – particularly rusted-on fans of the 90-plus year-old brand – the apparent erasure of its rich heritage has been the hardest pill to swallow.

Others are excited to see what’ll come of it all… and we’ve already got a taste.

First production model is locked in

The Jaguar Type 00 revealed this week is a concept but it signals the brand’s future design direction and from what Jag tells us, expect its first production model to look ‘quite similar’.

It’s already locked in the first model, which will be a four-door grand tourer based heavily on the Type 00, so, expect a long, swooping bonnet, flush lines, and a window-less rear end.

The design language, we’re told, will carry over, including the profile, front and rear ends.

“Most of what Gerry McGovern [Jaguar Land Rover chief creative officer] designs, will carry over into production,” a spokesperson for JLR told carsales.

Somehow, we reckon the Type 00’s heavy travertine stone and brass interior won’t make it to production.

Even still, judging by recent celebrity endorsements from Chance the Rapper and Skepta, it could be exxy…

It won’t be cheap

Of course, new-Jaguar is very much in its infancy and without a production model, we can only speculate as to how much the first car will cost.

But you can bet your bottom dollar it won’t be another $50k rival to the *insert whichever fledging Chinese EV brand you like*.

Even still, the brand has spruiked an estimated starting price of £100,000-120,000 pounds, which equates to around $197-$240k AUD for its four door GT.

Showrooms haven’t changed… yet

On the ground, it’s “business as usual” and if you walk into a Jaguar dealership today – or tomorrow – you’ll still see shiny examples of the brand’s I-PACE, E-PACE, and F-PACE, a spokesperson for the brand told carsales.

In fact, while production for the I-PACE and E-PACE ends this month, the F-PACE SUV will still be available into next year, in petrol, diesel, and P400e plug-in hybrid (PHEV) forms.  

And despite all the colourful advertising online, the showrooms haven’t gone full gender reveal-spec just yet. Instead, they’ll be kept traditional while the brand’s legacy vehicles are still around.

By this time next year, the brand will likely forfeit showrooms (as we know them) entirely, saying the new direction will see it sell cars via ‘exclusive brand stores’ across the world, the first of which will open in Paris: ‘the heart of the luxury fashion district’.

What is Jaguar saying?

From Jaguar’s side, it’s all very positive and exciting.

Even attempts to ridicule the Type 00’s design are met with playful replies from Jaguar’s social media team.

Some have said it looks like a toaster. Others have used more colourful language.

When one commenter likened the Type 00’s interior to a spa, asking where they could get a pedicure, Jaguar replied: ‘Can we suggest the passenger seat? There’s plenty of space’.

Adrian Mardell, the brand’s chief executive officer said the British luxury brand is unmatched in its heritage, artistry and emotional magnetism, and “that’s the Jaguar we are recapturing”.

“We will create the same sense of awe that surrounded iconic models like the E-type,” said Mardell, at the reveal of the Type 00.

“Our journey is already underway, guided by our original ethos to Copy Nothing – and the results will be spectacular.”

Rest assured, this rebrand is not a ‘prank’ (another label it’s been given).

It’s a total reset. And we’re all watching…

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