Jaguar Could Have Modernized the XJ Instead of Starting Over.

Do you think Jaguar should reconsider its drastic upcoming reimagining of the brand?

I mean, we all know it’s too late. The classic Jaguar XJ sedan is dead and its replacement will look more like a fancy toaster. The future success of Jaguar will rest in the hands of one of the most controversial car designs in recent automotive history, and that is a huge gamble. While the Tesla Cybertruck ended up being a big flop, selling about 20,000 units a year instead of the “over 250,000” that had once been promised—Tesla still has much more popular models like the Model Y and Model 3 to rely on. Jaguar will have nothing else. Just a super strange looking sedan that re-invents everything. At least for a while.

The top image shows what a different, yet still modern, design direction for a new Jaguar sedan could look like. As I said earlier, it is probably too late for that. Then again, Jaguar has done dramatic reversals before. The company canceled the future all-new XJ EV sedan that had already been teased to the press just weeks before its planned launch in early 2021. Almost five years later, there is still nothing new in showrooms.

The concept version of the all-new 00 sedan was revealed well over a year ago, in December 2024. the production version, called the Type 01, is apparently still scheduled for later this year. It will be priced at around $130,000. Which is actually not even that outrageous by today’s standards. 

Reactions to the concept have been mostly negative, which is not good news for Jaguar. However, journalists from around the world have been able to drive the running prototypes and reviews were mostly great. So there’s that…

The bigger question is whether Jaguar can successfully reinvent itself as a low-volume ultra-luxury brand. The company is essentially abandoning its traditional rivals and moving further upmarket. That’s an incredibly ambitious move for a brand that has struggled with declining sales and an aging lineup for years.

And just like the Cybertruck, it will be a car people notice immediately among the sea of traffic around them. Let’s just hope the novelty and surprise last longer than they did for Tesla. Jaguar desperately needs this strategy to work, because after years of delays, canceled projects, and bold promises, there may not be another opportunity to start over.

The illustration above shows a much more conservative approach to a new large Jaguar sedan. Not a type 01, but a new XJ…