Jaguar isn't just looking to stage a comeback, the British automaker is teeing up to be completely reborn. Its plan of a complete rebrand, fresh vehicle lineup, new market positioning and revised sales targets has been revealed publicly for the first time.
Jaguar's repositioning is part of the larger Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Reimagine strategy. JLR is the parent company of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. That strategy has already played out at Land Rover where the company's vehicles are now divided under Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery brands rather than all marked as Land Rovers.
Jaguar is the fourth piece of the puzzle, and the automaker's offerings will all be battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).
Richard Agnew, the automaker's communications and insight director, told Newsweek at an event at its headquarters in Gaydon, England, that the leaper and growler brand is moving upmarket, with prices closer to Range Rover territory, underlining the company's commitment to the Jaguar brand stating, "there is no JLR without Jaguar."
Agnew also said that there are no limitations on this remake towards Jaguar's sustainable future and that it will be a "complete reset."
That reset has been a long time in the making. Jaguar first announced its intention to move more upmarket in 2021, naming Porsche and Bentley as target rivals.
"At that point, we really started to address what we felt was the kind of future of motoring from a sustainability perspective, which is where our 2039, Net Zero targets came in. We then started to, you know, at that point, then reassess, where do we need to be for each of the brands in terms of their journey, their platforms, they should do? And that led us to the decision that actually Jaguars should be electric only," managing director Rawdon Glover told Newsweek.
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Jaguar’s Ambitious Plans Are a Big Risk
Jaguar’s rebrand isn’t just ambitious, it’s a big risk. And, the company will be facing an uphill battle as it works to win over buyers who are comfortably entrenched as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Bentley loyalists.
The brand will also take on new colors, using the term "modern exuberance" to describe its new palette. Bright pinks, yellows and oranges, and cream are featured in the brand's marketing and messaging.
The "modern exuberance" will also extend to its new-style dealerships, but the company only expects a small number to convert from their current state.
The "Jaguar" maker's mark will change as well. The new moniker comes in a newly created font, with characters all the same height, with a symmetry coming from the first J and the last R, which is made to look like an upside-down J.
Jaguar has cut production of its current lineup and doesn't plan to start selling new vehicles again until 2026. The brand only managed to move about 8,000 vehicles last year.
"Clearly, there is a commercial imperative on Jaguar to be actively contributing. That's my job. We've invested in our platform. We've invested in industrialization. But the brand will not be about chasing volume. It's about value to the organization and value to our retailers. But that takes time it's all about getting people to reassess the brand," said Glover.
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