Jaguar boss Rawdon Glover revealed to T3 his big plans for the brand in an exclusive tour of Jaguar Land Rover’s new tech facility in Portland, Oregon. All current Jaguar models, including the I-Pace, will be sunsetted over the next few years to make way for a new era of cars. These will all be fully electric vehicles – no plug-in hybrids or combustion engines in sight.
Quoting Jaguar’s founder Sir William Lyons, Glover said “Jaguar is at its very best when it is a copy of nothing.” The planned new vehicles are set to be more luxurious than past models with prices between $100,000 (£79,000) and $200,000 (£160,000). These won’t follow the generic cab-forward look of many of today’s EVs. Instead, it will be designed to stand out.
Following the success of high-end Land Rover models like the Defender and the Range Rover Sport, the Jaguar cars will be following a similar path. These will likely be aimed at a younger and more affluent audience that might otherwise consider Porsche, Bentley or Rolls-Royce.
The vehicles will use a single new architecture, not shared with any other models in the Jaguar Land Rover group and will form three new models. According to Glover, the first model will set the standard and will be a four-door GT, with a range of over 420 miles, very high charging speeds – from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes – and use the North American Charging Standard in the US (CCS in the UK).
Jaguar is also planning a range of electrification services to support these vehicles. These include home charging, destination charging and public charging solutions, as well as a concierge service where someone can come to you to charge your vehicle overnight.
JLR Portland tech centre
More information about the cars is set to be revealed in the second half of 2024, with the first preview of the initial car at the start of 2025. This should then be on the road by the end of 2025.
The second model is expected to be revealed in 2026 and a third in 2027. While Glover wouldn’t divulge what type of cars these will be, there were references to current popular high-end models in the market. I suspect these will include an SUV or crossover model to sit in the Jaguar F-Pace or Rolls-Royce Cullinan sector, though I would love to see a two-door Jaguar F-type or Bentley Continental style as well.
The cars will certainly be built with Jaguar’s performance DNA, and there is a 1000ps model planned for somewhere in the lineup. The opening of this new tech centre in Portland signals the company’s commitment to its technology offerings, such as the Pivi Pro infotainment system, which is set to continue in these new Jaguar EVs. However, its location means it is best placed to continue its partnership with Nvidia and other big tech firms on the West Coast.
Some will be relieved to hear that the reinvention will not see the end of the ‘leaper’ cat on the Jaguar badge. However, Glover hinted that we might see a new look to that classic Jaguar badge as part of the changes.
While all of these new models still seem a long way off, Jaguar Land Rover has plenty to keep us occupied in the meantime. The Range Rover electric is expected later this year, while the new plug-in hybrid Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models are now coming to market.
One of the test units at JLR Portland
