New Jaguar finally revealed

We waited two years for this?

Its finally here but was it worth waiting for.? The new electric Jaguar arrived earlier this week in New York. A bold new direction for the storied sports car maker the Jaguar 01 is the first of a new line of models and it differs little to the Type 00 concept coupe design that the company has teased us with for some time.

As an outsider one wonders what the parameters for the design of the new breed of electric Jaguar were. Far from being embraced as a step in a new and exciting direction the comments since its unveiling on Wednesday night have been far from flattering. Have the days of great automotive design passed us by? Apart from the contemporary silhouette the sheer size and bulk of this high waisted design tells us nothing about where Jaguar is heading – there are far more graceful upper luxury sedans on the market with a real presence compared to this characterless form.

A large high-waisted coupe-like four-door sedan the highly controversial Jaguar 01 EV takes the company into higher territory with a mooted price in Australia of around $300,000 plus-on road costs. The most powerful road-going Jaguar to date features an electric tri-motor powertrain pumping out 757kW of power and a massive 1365Nm of torque.

Featuring a 260kW front motor and two 310kW rear motors fed by a 118kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery the EV uses an 850-volt electrical system and sits on the company’s new JEA (Jaguar Electric Architecture). The company claims a driving range under the WLTP formula of 720km with a 0-100km. acceleration time of 3.2 seconds.

Jaguar claim a 10 to 80 per cent charge takes around 22 minutes while up to 321km of range can be added in just 13 minutes using a 350kW DC charger. The battery features split-charging capability, with 250kW charging possible at 400 volts. AC charging is possible at up to 22kW.

The bold styling accentuated by large 23-inch wheels, a high waistline and low roof is in total contrast to Jaguars of old and has drawn much criticism. At 5,235mm long and just 1403 mm tall it is longer and lower to the outgoing XJ Jaguar at 5130mm and 1460mm.

According to the company the Type 01 is their most aerodynamic car to date with a drag co-efficient of 0.23Cd, having undergone more than 7,000 wind tunnel tests and featuring active front vents and a three-stage rear spoiler. The rear spoiler deploys at speeds above 80km/hour to a seven-degree angle to reduce drag at highway speeds and increase range by up to a claimed 5km while above 155km/hour it moves to a 210-degree angle to generated 75kg. of downforce. The suspension also lowers by 15mm. when the spoiler is deployed at cruising speeds.

In contrast to a traditional rear windscreen the car features a rear facing camera to feed a digital rear-view display inside the cabin. The company claims the flush door handles can deploy through 4mm of sheet ice.

Jaguar have adopted a four-headlight design, with 84mm tall LED headlights while the rear lights below the deployable spoiler remain hidden until illuminated.

Customers will have the choice of seven colours including Visionary Silver, Dramatic White, Compelling Blue, Iconic Black and Refined Grey gloss finishes with the addition of satin finishes, Modernist Blue and Mesmerising Copper.

The front fascia lacks the finishes you’d expect in a British upper luxury model – the interior featuring a central spine splitting the four individual seats which feature massaging function, heating and cooling and 12-way adjustment. A large panoramic glass roof is standard along with a full-width Panoramic Soundbar located at the base of the windscreen, with additional speakers integral with the front headrests. There are 13 speakers integrated into the soundbar with a further 25 speakers elsewhere in the cabin.

Located behind the steering wheel is a 24-inch glass OLED infotainment screen called the Interactive Driver Display while a smartphone sized 7-inch portrait display is mounted lower down for commonly used functions such as climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Rear seat occupants have their own 7-inch display while the panoramic roof can be virtually dimmed.

In addition to the Type 01 Jaguar is also working on an electric SUV plus a luxury two-door Coupe. One hopes that initial feedback on this sedan will make the designers come up with something that has more appeal. 

The 7-inch touchscreen for climate control and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and not a button or dial in sight.

At the launch of this brand-new Jaguar there was no shortage of hyperbole.

“From its dramatic design to its captivating drive, Type 01 distils the essence of Jaguar into a car for a new era,” said Jaguar managing director Rawdon Glover.

“Jaguars should be objects of desire and culturally relevant – that’s their natural habitat and where Jaguar is returning. Type 01 is the foundation of the brand, one that makes no compromise between design and engineering in our quest to reinvent Jaguar for the 21st century.”

All very well but this is a very bold step for a car company that has relied on space, grace and pace for over 90 years. Information on final pricing and delivery for Australia will be announced soon as well as details of a much smaller dealer network.