New Jaguar GT shows off more of its controversial and crucial design

Jaguar’s long-awaited hyper-EV is inching closer to its reveal, but before we see the car in its final form later this year – or something very close to it – prototypes continue to pile on the miles across the globe. However, there is something to learn from these later vehicles, as they slowly reveal more of what’s hiding under the camouflage.

Key changes found on this new prototype reveal an outline of the production car’s headlights. These sit quite high on the nose, and should feature the latest digital LED technology found in other high-end luxury cars. The lower bumper is also more exposed, and shows two slim outer vents and some slatted vents between them – expect these to open and close depending on the electric powertrain’s cooling requirements. 

Further back, we can now also see production metalwork, revealing the car’s flared wheelarches and crisp, smooth bodywork. This also reveals the location and shape of the charge-flap, which looks particularly large. From here, boxy camouflage is still mounted on top of the main bodywork, but we can just about make out that the Jaguar Type 00 concept’s sharp shoulder-line will be retained, alongside frameless windows and flush door handles. 

The roofline is also destined to sit lower than the prototype appears, and the tail will taper in from all sides, accentuating the flared rear arches. Thin horizontal tail-lamps and a wide, low-mounted third brake light will make up the car’s night-time lighting signature. 

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What exactly is Jaguar building?

The all-electric, still as-yet-unnamed Jaguar GT has been hailed by the brand as one of the most ambitious models in its long history, but will also be one of its most expensive, with prices expected to start from around £130,000.

Despite that, and the controversy over the company’s new direction, Jaguar says so far more than 32,000 people have expressed interest in the four-door GT before they’ve even laid eyes on the finished car. However, these images captured by our spy photographers provide more clues as to exactly what we can expect.

The four-door GT will be the first car on the new Jaguar Electric Architecture platform; this will underpin the initial trio of models planned as part of the brand’s move upwards to a high-end positioning focused on “modern luxury”. The other two models are likely to be a large SUV and a luxury saloon.

Jaguar is pledging a 430-mile range for the GT and ultra-fast charging, with the company’s managing director Rawdon Glover describing the car’s technology as “game-changing”. He’s also said: “We will move from range anxiety to charging anxiety, but this car will be able to add 200 miles of charge in 15 minutes.”

According to Jaguar, the need to completely shift the brand into a much more expensive arena is an obvious one. “The past decade has seen Jaguar pursue a mass-volume strategy, and the cars have not been distinctive enough,” said JLR CEO Adrian Mardell. 

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“This is the time to do something special; exuberance is something Jaguar has always been seen to have. The same excitement as the E-Type – this is a clean-sheet approach to a reimagined brand with no limitation on fresh ideas.

“I’ve never been more confident in Jaguar in the past 25 years, in what Jaguar needs to be, the client base it needs to seek and what it needs in order to be successful,” he continued. “EV is only part of the shift. We will be luxurious, sell in lower volumes at a higher price point, and our research shows that there is a market for it.”

That point was backed up by Jaguar boss Glover, who said the brand’s new direction is “progressive, bold and fearless in the way we have been in our 90-year history, most of which has been spent producing the world’s most desirable sports cars and saloons”. 

He continued: “The price point will rise, and to do that we’ve got to elevate all aspects of the brand.”

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What is Jaguar’s new design direction?

Although the prototype car in these shots is heavily disguised, it’s clear that Jaguar is pursuing a different route to other brands with its styling. “We live in a world of small wheels, cars sitting high to package the battery, and that look like they were designed in a wind tunnel to maximise the range,” said Glover.

“We will do the opposite – vehicles that can create an emotional and visceral reaction with the driver. It needs to be a great driver’s car, but one you can drive mile after mile without it being draining, and it must be engaging. The chassis people say they have huge scope to make an engaging drive, but it’s got to drive like a Jaguar.”

The British brand’s boss rejected any hint of nervousness about the new direction. “I’m not saying it will be easy – there will be a lot of conquest and we will definitely sell to multi-car Range Rover households,” he replied. “What is the alternative? Look at what is happening elsewhere – would I want to go into the mid-market or low-end and slug it out?” 

He said JLR is enjoying success when it comes to making beautiful, desirable vehicles with great design, pushing into higher price points. “We’ve done it with Range Rover, and most recently with Defender.” According to Glover, the new Defender has doubled in price but tripled in volume compared with the previous long-standing model. “What we did with Defender was that the product transformation came first, and the brand after. With Jaguar, we are doing it simultaneously.” 

He also rejected concerns about moving to an electric vehicle-only plan, commenting that “very few” buyers of six-figure Jaguars will be single-car households; if 430 miles isn't enough range for them, then they will likely also have access to another car. 

He also rejected fears about being an electric-only brand, confirming that there are no plans to introduce hybrid or internal-combustion powertrains to Jaguar vehicles.  

“Visceral and emotional is why people buy cars at this price point, powertrain is way down. It’s about the brand, exterior design, interior design, and how the vehicle handles; people aren’t choosing because of the powertrain,” he said. “This car will be ready in late 2026, so the platform will be used for seven or eight years. To liken it to ice hockey, players skate to where the puck is going, not where it is now.”

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