Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t understand why companies are so quick to throw away their entire brand heritage. Images of what seems like the new Jaguar EV have surfaced online just hours before the company officially launches the car, and merely days after its disastrous rebranding effort.
The rebrand came after Jaguar cryptically announced that they wouldn’t be producing any of their existing models following poor sales and zero profitability. When Jaguar formally revealed their new brand, they did so in perhaps the most unusual way possible – without revealing a single car alongside their new brand image. However, now images of their upcoming car have surfaced online, putting more ‘meat’ to their official rebrand. We now see what their new brand identity ACTUALLY translates to, how that new logo sits on their automobiles, and most importantly, whether we (as consumers) like it.
Design: Jaguar (JLR)
The images are fairly low-resolution, given that they were obtained via leaks. However, they still provide a very holistic view of what Jaguar’s vision for its EV future looks like. The car is officially shedding its old coat for something brand new, and let’s just say it feels very familiar. The sharp lines, the low-poly design, is highly reminiscent of the Cybertruck that was unveiled in 2019. This sharp design style tries to convey futurism and a rejection of the status quo – but there’s a slight problem.
When the Cybertruck rejected the status quo, it did so very meaningfully – by showing 5 different pickup truck brands and removing their logos. The point being that without their logos, they all look the same – something the Cybertruck was hoping to change with its radical redesign. With Jaguar, it’s completely different. The company has a rich history and had a very strong brand – these aren’t things to throw away. One could argue that their brand was struggling over the past few years with slowing sales, complaints from consumers that the brand wasn’t sufficiently up-to-date, and a very long, botched transition to electric vehicles. However, to throw away the very brand that people have had etched into their memory for something radically new seems like a massive gamble.
Objectively, the car feels a little confusing. The edgy design looks somewhat enticing, but the hot pink color does not. It’s a Jaguar, not a Pink Panther, after all. This bright colorway, aside from ‘objectively’ looking odd, completely alienates the company’s existing customer base, who bought Jaguars for their sheer power and raw predator energy. The new Jaguar looks like a caged animal being made to perform tricks instead of a car out in the wild.
The car sports slick headlights, the obvious lack of a grille (given its electric powertrain). There aren’t any rear-view mirrors, although panels on the side pop out to reveal rear-facing cameras. The cameras also serve another purpose, given that the EV doesn’t have a rear windshield. One could assume a display-based rear view for drivers, although the intuitive behaviour of glancing backwards may feel a little frustrating since you can’t really physically see what’s behind you. You are, however, rewarded with a panoramic front view, thanks to a sweeping glass panel that travels all the way from the front of the windshield to the C pillar.
These images are allegedly of the Jaguar Design Vision Concept – which means this car will never make it into production. It’s just a concept automobile designed to demonstrate what Jaguar’s ‘vision’ for its future cars are. Chances are their upcoming EVs will either lean heavily into this trend of flashy colors and polarizing design aesthetics, or Jaguar will gauge the reaction of its audience and correct course – even if it means ditching the fanfare of audacious colors and models for something that feels like an evolution… and not an outright rejection of its strong heritage.
These leaked images come from CocheSpias and Wilco Blok who took to Instagram to share the photos of the upcoming EV. Jaguar plans to officially unveil the new Jaguar Design Vision Concept at Miami Art Week starting today, with hopefully more details on their thought process as well as the car itself. I’m totally prepared to eat my words if the new EV boasts a stunning performance, a competitive range, or some features that truly make the car a luxury must-have. Until then, I’ll hold onto my opinion that the rebrand feels fairly out of touch as it tries to recreate the Cybertruck fervor without truly understanding it.
