In one form or another, the Jaguar automotive brand has been around for over 100 years.
It’s had different names, different owners, and different goals. But over time, as with many century-old companies, a step back is necessary to move forward. Which is exactly what Jaguar is doing right now.
Jaguar’s history has been a long and storied one, building not only beautiful cars, but impressive racing machines. When you say Jaguar to someone, probably the first thought is the sleek and stunning E-Type model, like the XKE, which Enzo Ferrari called the most beautiful car in the world. Coming from Ferrari, that’s saying a lot.
Jaguar has never been a high-volume brand by design. Exclusivity mattered more, and for decades that worked. But competitive luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW have moved forward at a much quicker pace than Jaguar, coming out with dozens of models and impressive technology.
Not that Jaguar has been standing still, but the awareness level for the brand can’t begin to touch the competition. In 2017, it sold almost 40,000 units. In 2023, just over 8,000.
Exclusivity is one thing; poor performance is another. To this point, Jaguar recently announced that it will stop production of its entire lineup for one year while all its plants switch over to produce electric vehicles.
Jaguar currently offers five models in the States, with only one being electrified. Does going all electric make sense right now as other manufacturers are backpedaling toward more hybrids in the mix? Who knows?
What we do know is that when the first BEV Jaguar rolls off the line in 2028 the vehicle will probably be a four-door GT car that will be priced around $125,000. Jaguar is shooting to compete with the top of the luxury market brands like Bentley and Lucid.
It would be a shame to see the Jaguar brand die off like many others who have come and gone over the years. Let’s hope it can hang on long enough to introduce beautiful, technologically advanced vehicles as it has in the past.
