Jaguar Type 01 Debuts In New York City
It’s here! The much ballyhooed all electric Jaguar sedan luxury tourer known as the Type 01 had its official debut in New York City this week. Why would this uniquely British automobile debut in New York and not London? Perhaps it is because the company expects the US to be where most of its customers will be located.
In a press release, the company said its new creation features “Exuberant design, pioneering technology, and instinctive driving dynamics combine to create the most powerful, aerodynamic, and technologically advanced Jaguar ever.” Really? That front end that looks like a barn door is more aerodynamic than the iconic XK-E? Apparently so. The Type 01 has a Cd of 0.23. The E-Type had a Cd of .40 or greater. The press release, as expected, was glowing.
Designed, developed and crafted in the UK, Type 01 is the first production Jaguar created on Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA), a dedicated platform enabling an entirely new approach to design, proportions and occupant experience.
A luxury four‑door GT, Type 01 embodies Jaguar’s renewed vision of modern luxury, combining dramatic design, craftsmanship and innovation to create an unmistakable presence and emotional connection.
Type 01 is the first of a new generation of Jaguars. Its name references both Jaguar’s legendary lineage and its all‑electric future: “Type” nods to iconic predecessors, “0” signifies zero tailpipe emissions and “1” marks the first of a new generation.
The Type 01 Is No XK-E
The BBC reports the Type 01, with its long bonnet, “deliberately harks back to Jaguar’s emblematic 1960s E-Type.” As the proud owner of a 1964 4.2 liter Series 1 XK-E coupe, I fail to see any resemblance. Enzo Ferrari called the XK-E the most beautiful production car ever made. The front of the Type 01 looks more like the white cliffs of Dover than the subtly slinky bonnet that graced the E-Type. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but any comparison between the two automobiles seems specious to me.
For many, the primary component of a classic Jaguar was its magnificent dual overhead cam, inline six cylinder engine conceived during the Second World War by William Lyons and his team of talented engineers, including Bill Heynes, Walter Hassan, and Claude Baily. That engine debuted in 1949 and continued to power Jaguar automobiles until the company was purchased by Ford in 1989. After that, the cars came with warmed over engines taken straight from the Ford parts bin, such as the V-6 that powered the Ford Mondeo.
I can say from personal experience, the XK engine was a torque monster. When its three carburetors were placed in wide open throttle mode at the request of the driver’s right foot, the said driver would be pressed firmly back in the seat and the car would leap forward with a rush that seemed like it would go on forever. I confess the experience was addictive, and I savored the adrenaline rush much more frequently than absolutely necessary. No Jaguar equipped with a Ford engine could ever duplicate that experience.
Jaguar Loses The Plot
That was when Jaguar lost its way. No longer the ruler of the motorway (Oh, Muffy. Let’s take the Jag to the Cotswolds this weekend!), buyers turned away from Jaguar in droves and purchased BMWs and Audis instead. “Jaguar’s core demographic…..gave up on the brand years ago, so they effectively had nothing to lose,” auto analyst Matthias Schmidt told the BBC.
The company tried one other foray into the world of electric cars with the Jaguar I-Pace, an SUV with quite appealing lines. I got to pilot one in Portugal in 2018 and it was a blast to drive. Sadly, it suffered from sub-standard electronics and needed frequent repairs. Jaguar stopped selling the I-Pace in 2024, due to a lack of buyers.
When I was driving the I-Pace in Portugal, I had a chance to whiz around the Portomao race track in a Jaguar two seater fitted with a turbocharged four cylinder engine. Compared to the XK-E, the experience had all the appeal of kissing your sister. No wonder the brand lost favor with its customer base.
Polarizing Design
The new Type 01 is polarizing, no question about that, but there is no guarantee it will revive Jaguar’s fortunes. For one thing, the new car has gone way up-market by setting the base price at £130,000 ($172,000). The US price is said to be $130,000, which is quite a discount for American buyers, if true. Production of the 1000 horsepower saloon car is expected to begin next year, with the first deliveries to begin in the second half of 2027.
The company says the Type 01 will scoot to 62 km/h in 3.2 seconds, which is respectable but hardly ground breaking in today’s world of potent EVs. Range at “sustained highway speeds” is said to be 320 miles, with 400 miles (EPA) possible in more sedate driving. The car uses an all new 850 volt platform that can add 200 miles of range in just 13 minutes when connected to a 350 kW DC fast charger.
Even with the introduction of the Type 01, the future of Jaguar itself still hangs in the balance. “I think it really is a last throw of the dice. JLR has struggled to make serious money with Jaguar in the past, and that’s what it’s all about.” journalist Steve Fowler told the BBC.
Craig Kinnersley, a luxury car consultant, said the new design was an “unmitigated catastrophe” that looked like a hearse and lacked any “memorable Jaguar flourish.” Ouch! “Looks like a Cybertruck and a Bentley Continental had an illegitimate child,” one person said on Fakebook.
First Of Three
The Type 01 is the first of three new models coming from the company, although if the Type 01 is a dud, those other variants may never make it to production and the company’s very existence will be under threat. The company is facing intense pressure from China and crippling tariffs in the US. The automotive world would be a poorer place without Jaguar in it, but whether the company can survive is a bit of a toss up at the moment.
It’s a fraught time to be introducing a new luxury electric car in the US, where the winds have all been blowing against the adoption of EVs ever since the current administration decided to prop up the oil industry that helped it get elected by revoking electric car incentives and withholding funds appropriated by Congress to expand public charging infrastructure.
Jaguar is pursuing a “go big or go home” strategy with the Type 01, but what the result of its gamble will be remains to be seen. If you have an opinion on the matter, please share it with us in the comments.
