Jaguar Type 01 is finally unveiled — can this £130k EV become a success story?
The moment that people across the world, even outside the automotive space, have been waiting for has finally arrived. Yes, it is the unveiling of the first car of Jaguar’s rebrand, which the company calls a ‘luxury grand tourer for a new era’.
Type 01 is the production model based on the much-talked-about Type 00 electric prototype, which, to say the least, ruffled a few feathers when it was unveiled in late 2024, along with a rebrand video. Jaguar is betting big — some would say make or break — on an electric future, using the release of Type 01 to change its entire brand and strategy, one which is a complete deviation from days gone by.
Something had to change, however, with Jaguar experiencing a steady decline in sales in the last five years due to fierce competition from premium rivals and an ever-changing automotive landscape that, in part due to political pressure, was slowly making the switch from petrol and diesel power to electric. The brand is seeking a younger, richer type of client and looking to shed its previous 50+ demographic as the two-year rebrand culminates with the reveal of Type 01.
There have also been issues at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in a wider sense following the fallout from last year’s cyber attack and the recent announcement of cuts to be made at the company.
Design
Unveiled in New York City, Type 01 was given the Big Apple welcome with large-scale digital displays in Times Square, DUMBO and the Lower East Side, before making its way in the flesh for a dynamic drive on closed roads on the West Side to an exclusive gathering in the West Chelsea area.
Sitting on 23-inch wheels, the luxury four‑door GT doesn’t stray far from the prototype, keeping its low roofline, long bonnet (the car is 5.2m long in total), extended rear overhang and muscular, chunky presence (2 metres wide and 2,700kg in weight). Just like the Polestar 4, there is no rear window to speak of, with a camera on the roof feeding footage of what’s going on behind to a screen inside the cabin. The move, while funky in design, has also been done to improve headroom for those sitting in the back.
Jaguar says it is a ‘one-of-a-kind that breaks convention’, while taking inspiration from classics like the E-Type and XJS. It isn’t the only reference from its past to be lifted into the rebrand, with the ‘copy nothing’ slogan taken from company founder Sir William Lyons’ famous “a copy of nothing" description.
Interior
Inside is a spacious affair and is divided by a central spine which splits things into four distinct areas for each passenger. The front seats are adjustable in 12 ways, while the rear seats can fold flat to increase luggage capacity.
Unfortunately for fans of buttons and switches, the driver controls things via a 7 inch vertical touchscreen. There’s also a large 24 inch screen that sits behind the steering wheel. Features like the soundbar are neatly hidden beneath the windscreen, which is also where the digital rear-view mirror lives.
Powertrain
Underneath the panels of Type 01 is the Jaguar’s bespoke electric powertrain, which puts out 1,015bhp and 1,365Nm of torque, enabling a 0-62mph sprint in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 150mph. The 850 volt electrical architecture delivers up to 450 miles of range, while 200 miles of range can be added in 13 minutes on a 350kW charge.
How much does the Jaguar Type 01 cost?
Orders for the Type 01 are set to open in early 2027 (rumoured February), with prices starting from £130,000 — although those buying could easily end up spending around £200,000 by the end of play. Despite its glitzy New York City unveiling, the car will stay true to its roots and will be designed, engineered and built in the UK, with first deliveries expected in the second half of the year.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Jaguar