Skip advert
Advertisement
Opinion

I wonder if there are enough buyers for £100k+ luxury Jaguar EVs

Mike Rutherford gives his view on Jaguar's controversial rebrand

Opinion - Jaguar logo

The maddest, baddest, saddest week of the year so far? Possibly the one we’ve just endured.

The madness came courtesy of the UK Government and its summit meeting with motor industry chiefs. Up for discussion were mega-important matters such as the ZEV mandate, job losses, the threatened 2030 ban on new ICE cars, plans for electric cars to succeed them and, in turn, the future and rapidly changing shape of mass manufacturing at major factories still building vehicles in Britain. UK car industry life-savers such as BMW/MINI, Land Rover, Nissan and Toyota, we salute you.

With all this and more on the agenda, and so much at stake, surely Prime Minister Starmer and/or Net Zero Minister Miliband should have taken the lead? Instead, the recently sacked Transport Secretary Haigh (famous for further subsidising trains and buses) was wheeled in over the potholes to lead the negotiations, assisted by Business Minister Reynolds. Nissan seemed unimpressed and said the ZEV mandate “risks undermining the business case for manufacturing cars in the UK”. Haigh and her Government need to take that as an official and serious written warning.

Advertisement - Article continues below

As for the bad, trains (which are allegedly the alternative to cars) will reportedly offer travel chaos “for millions” this Christmas, as at least two of the UK’s busiest stations [Liverpool Street and Paddington in London] face closure, with the added and inevitable ‘bonus’ of disruptions elsewhere.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Sadly, JLR’s unveiling of its new jaGuar logo, on-vehicle badges, overall corporate image and carless promotional video grabbed the headlines across the world – but for the wrong reasons. “Rebrand sparks anger and mockery” and “Disastrous” screamed a couple of the headlines that pretty much summed up the mood at home and abroad.

But the controversy over Jaguar’s badging, logo and corporate identity is comparatively minor. Far bigger and more important questions are these: after halting car production for more than one year, will Jaguar’s promised product rebirth in 2026 really happen? Will its all-new, considerably more expensive cars actually be in the showrooms by then? And does it really, truly, deeply know there are enough buyers out there willing and able to pay £100,000-plus for luxury-only Jags? For the sake of the company, its workers and UK PLC, I bloody well hope so.

I’m also hoping that tens of millions of beleaguered car users have been inspired to at least think about following in the footsteps of the comparatively small number of farmers who staged peaceful, dignified but highly effective protests on the streets of London last week. Time for motorists to follow their fine example?

Do you agree with Mike? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Chief columnist

Mike was one of the founding fathers of Auto Express in 1988. He's been motoring editor on four tabloid newspapers - London Evening News, The Sun, News of the World & Daily Mirror. He was also a weekly columnist on the Daily Telegraph, The Independent and The Sunday Times. 

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack: workers told to apply for Universal Credit says union
Land Rover Defender 110 County - front corner left

Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack: workers told to apply for Universal Credit says union

Unite claims staff are being laid off with "reduced or zero pay" following the attack, which occurred almost three weeks ago
News
17 Sep 2025
Trip to France shows how horribly UK drivers are treated
Opinion - driving in France

Trip to France shows how horribly UK drivers are treated

Editor Paul Barker’s recent holiday was a surprisingly educational one
Opinion
10 Sep 2025
Best winter tyres 2025
Winter tyre test 2025 - header image, tyres next to a Volkswagen Golf

Best winter tyres 2025

Our testers warmed to the task of finding the best cold-weather rubber for your car
Product group tests
10 Sep 2025
New 2027 Smart #2 to feature bespoke chassis, with help from Mercedes and Geely
New Smart #2 teaser from Munich Motor Show 2025 - front, in a wooden crate

New 2027 Smart #2 to feature bespoke chassis, with help from Mercedes and Geely

Smart sees its new city car as core to its existence, so will pull out all the stops to make the new two-seat EV a gamechanger
News
8 Sep 2025

Most Popular

New Geely EX5 SUV to arrive in October, starting at £32k
Geely EX5 - front

New Geely EX5 SUV to arrive in October, starting at £32k

This new electric SUV is coming soon to the UK from Volvo and Lotus parent company, Geely
News
15 Sep 2025
Nissan Qashqai to finally go electric, but hybrid model will remain
Nissan Qashqai electric render Avarvarii - front 3/4

Nissan Qashqai to finally go electric, but hybrid model will remain

There will be an overlap of powertrains for the big-selling SUV
News
15 Sep 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Savour the Scandi cool of a Polestar 4 at only £334 a month
Polestar 4 - cornering, low shot

Car Deal of the Day: Savour the Scandi cool of a Polestar 4 at only £334 a month

Fancy something smart and sophisticated? You won’t look back with the Polestar 4. It’s our Deal of the Day for September 13
News
13 Sep 2025