Jaguar boss defends controversial new car following backlash from public including Elon Musk

Change is inevitable, and after some 89 years of earning a reputation as a gas-guzzling luxury car manufacturer, Jaguar has decided it's time for a bit of an update. The British institution has broken from tradition and announced that it's becoming an electric-only manufacturer in 2026. This comes alongside the unveiling of Type 00, which grabbed headlines with a jazzy advert that used high-end models but failed to actually feature the car.

Jaguar has been slapped with the 'go woke, go broke' warning, with critics swarming to social media to lambast the automobile brand. Taking issue with everything from the models used in the advert to the logo and the design of the Type 00, even Elon Musk has stoked the fires of hatred.

While some are begging Jaguar to pump the breaks, the company's managing director has defended the bold reimagining. Speaking to Sky News, Rawdon Glover said: "We've certainly gathered an awful lot of attention over the last few weeks, but now I think it's really important to talk about the vehicle."

Coming in Miami Pink and London Blue, the Type 00 is supposed to be a "concept with bold forms and exuberant proportions to inspire future Jaguars."

Promising 478 miles of range with a rapid charging option able to add 200 miles in just 15 minutes, the Type 00 is expected to cost a pretty penny, coming in at a rumored £100,000 (equivalent of $127,000).

Yes.
We'd love to show you. Join us for a cuppa in Miami on 2nd December?
Warmest regards,
Jaguar

— Jaguar (@Jaguar) November 19, 2024

Saying that the vibrant redesign is to future-proof Jaguar, Glover added: "We need to make sure that Jaguar is relevant, is desirable, is future proof for the next 90 years of its history.

"At the moment, the industry is going through huge disruption: technology changes, as we all figure out actually what an electrified world means for our brand."

While the current version is just a concept car, a production-ready Type 00 is due to be revealed in late 2025, with manufacturing due to take place in the UK soon after. Realizing it's a 'bold' gamble, Glover said: "At Jaguar, we've looked at that and we think we have to make a really bold step forward. But actually, the step we're going to take is completely in keeping in ethos with the brand."

Still, it's clear the Type 00 and the 'new' Jaguar have drummed up plenty of controversy from skeptics. Elon Musk posted on X and asked: “Do you sell cars?”

When grilled on whether Jaguar has been put off by the negativity, Glover told Sky: "We want to be bold and disruptive...We're clearly in the conversation.

"More people have been talking about Jaguar for the last two weeks than - goodness, for so much longer. Car companies unveil new cars all the time and go completely unnoticed."

Still, it seems the team didn't expect the backlash to be quite as vocal: "We absolutely don't want to alienate any of our loyal fans.

"Quite the opposite - we want to take as many of our current fans with us on that journey... We need to also appeal to a new audience. That's what we need to do."

While some predicted that Jaguar will 'go bust', the rebrand has seen stock prices climb. Jaguar's parent company, Tata Motors (NSE: TATAMOTORS), has risen by 1.56% in the past five days, and while not a massive leap, it's far from the plummet the haters have tried to manifest.

Like it or not, a very different Jaguar will be racing into our lives in 2026.