Jaguar Lovingly Bids Farewell with an 'Elegant Sunset' for its Final Surviving Models

      Jaguar has once again pressed the reset button, revealing a new strategic direction, updated branding, and a selection of new models set for late 2024. The brand's revamped identity is quite surprising, and a leaked memo indicates that even those within the company are uncertain about this new path. Nevertheless, executives are confident that they are steering Jaguar in the right direction, asserting that change was necessary.

      Jaguar's managing director, Rawdon Glover, shared with Autocar that the company has arrived at a "pivotal point in its history," necessitating a complete overhaul of its car lineup and the platforms they are built on. Recently, Jaguar had attempted to align its models with BMW, positioning the XE against the 3 Series and the XF as an alternative to the 5 Series, but this strategy did not translate into increased sales.

      Glover explained that from an economic standpoint, Jaguar's current model wasn't viable. He also noted that moving Jaguar further downmarket would not make sense, as competing with lower-tier luxury brands from Nissan or Toyota would be inappropriate for a company known for iconic vehicles like the E-Type. Instead, the decision was made to elevate Jaguar's positioning to compete more closely with brands like Bentley.

      Thus, Glover indicated that the upcoming Jaguar models will likely come with a price tag approximately double that of those they will replace. The Type 00 concept, presented in December 2024, showcases what lies ahead for the brand. It is a large, electric vehicle that differs significantly from anything Jaguar has produced before, built on a new platform and expected to reach production by the end of 2025.

      Meanwhile, Glover mentioned that Jaguar aims for "an elegant sunset" for its remaining models, which sounds more graceful than stating "we're discontinuing everything!" Yet, both expressions remain somewhat ambiguous. The company's U.S. website lists the F-Pace, E-Pace, I-Pace, F-Type, and XF as available, although some of these models are no longer in production. Notably, Jaguar has ceased selling new cars in its home market of England, which is quite surprising; it’s rare for a major automaker to take a year off, but Jaguar intends to leverage this hiatus to its benefit.

      “There’s no existing blueprint for this since no one has attempted it before. It has certainly been a fascinating challenge,” Glover stated. “We’ve made significant progress, and now we will have this 'breathing space' to develop the new brand, raise awareness, and generate interest before we begin taking orders in the future.” While it’s encouraging that Jaguar is seizing this opportunity, this year off was not a part of their initial plans; the development of the next-generation XJ was nearly completed when former CEO Thierry Bolloré abruptly canceled it.

      Glover also responded to criticism suggesting that Jaguar is neglecting its current customers by rebranding.

      “An example of criticism includes: ‘We are leaving our customers behind; we don’t care about our existing customers,’” he acknowledged. “I can see how this has been viewed, as we are stating that Jaguar must attract a new audience. However, this doesn’t imply that we are disinterested in our current customers. Quite the opposite. We aim to bring as many of our existing customers along on this journey as we can.”

      The challenge, of course, is that current Jaguar owners wishing to remain loyal to the brand will need to invest significantly more in their next vehicle.

      Will they do so? It’s feasible. Glover cited the second-generation Land Rover Defender as an example. The original Defender is beloved and an exceptional off-road vehicle, but those who have driven it will tell you it essentially functioned as a family-friendly tractor. The current model is much more luxurious, significantly more comfortable, and correspondingly pricier. “We’ve tripled the production volume and doubled the price point,” Glover clarified, stating that the aim isn’t to triple Jaguar’s sales volume but rather to illustrate that such transformations are achievable.