As Jaguar’s lineup has slowly shrunk down to zero models on sale for the time being, we’ve been desperate to learn more about what’s coming next as the British automaker attempts to pivot upmarket with a brand-new portfolio of fully-electric vehicles. We’ve known for a while that the first of the next-generation Jaguar EVs would be a sleek four-door GT, and now we can land our eyes on something somewhat close to production that will be fully revealed next month.
The first prototypes of Jag’s new sedan are now testing on public roads, so we can now get an idea of what the new car will look like in full production form thanks to these prototype images. The model looks to be massive, sized to compete with the likes of the full-size Cadillac Celestiq and Rolls-Royce Spectre luxury saloons. Jag also hopes to price it to compete with those six-figure models, as it’s said before this shift to an all-EV portfolio will also be a shift upmarket with more luxury.
It seems Jag is still stuck in the “start big” philosophy of EV development, where you can mask the development costs of an all-new platform, batteries, motors, and other components under the price tag of a luxury model, and a bigger size makes for more batteries, for a bigger range figure to offer up the marketing teams. Most other companies have managed to move on from that philosophy by now, with more affordable models on sale already, so Jag is definitely lagging a little behind. But if there’s demand for high-luxury six-figure sedans, this one should be a looker.
The images of the prototypes show a surprisingly boxy design that is clearly still extremely aerodynamic, or at least smooth-looking. Right now, we get a big of a Chrysler impression from the black grille that’s in the masking prototype design, but we’ll wait until we see what the actual sheetmetal looks like to make any judgements about the styling. It looks like there could be some thin headlights resting above the top of the grille, with potentially active aerodynamics down near the ground.
The profile is pretty well camouflaged, with a lot of masking around the rear door window, so the greenhouse and overall profile impression is still a bit of a mystery.
Additionally, along with the images, Car and Driver reports there’s a patent filing for a “Jaguar I-Type” which could suggest the name of this new model, or it could just be because it sounds similar to “I-Pace,” the automaker’s first all-electric model.
It’s certainly interesting that Jag is going for a sedan at first, considering it hasn’t yet established itself as a direct Rolls competitor prior to this, its SUV sales clearly have been its strongest up until now, and the competitive Cadillac Celestiq is not GM’s first nor only EV on sale, but good luck to the British brand, as we’re clearly off to a good start with this impressive prototype shape so far.
We wager this I-Type or whatever the new sedan EV is called should be built on the all-new JEA platform inspired by learnings from Jaguar’s Formula E team, including the battery, motor, and inverter tech. It should be compatible with the Tesla Supercharger network, juicing from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 15 minutes, and with up to a 430-mile all-electric EPA estimated range, according to company execs we’ve spoken to in the past. It will be the first of three new models to be introduced beginning in 2025. As mentioned before, expect six-figure pricing.
