The new electric Jaguar has more than 1,000 hp. Does it even matter?

Jaguar is in no rush to reinvent itself as a super-luxury brand. Although it concerns a single model, the aging F-Pace, the struggling company is not rushing the Type 00 to market. Time certainly flies, as it’s been just over a year since the concept broke through, signaling a complete departure from the old ways. The camouflage will finally disappear sometime next year, but deliveries won’t begin until later in 2027.

In the meantime, Jaguar is providing a rare update on its development and testing progress. It has laid out the key technical specifications for what it internally calls the ‘X900’. The extravagant grand tourer gets more than 1,000 hp from three electric motors: one at the front and two at the rear. We’re told it will have a rear-biased setup with a 30:70 torque split, although the ratio will vary.

As you can imagine, this is going to be a very heavy car. Although the exact weight remains a mystery, Jaguar is aiming for less than 2,750 kilograms (6,062 pounds), spread evenly between the two axles. Measuring over five meters (196.8 inches) in length and riding on standard 23-inch wheels, the new-era Jag will have an impressive presence.

Its stately appearance is accentuated by an imposingly long hood that seems to beg for a large-displacement combustion engine. However, the Tata Motors-owned company has made it crystal clear that it is parting ways with ICE and putting all its eggs in the EV basket. At the rear it has a tailgate, making it essentially a hatchback. The camouflage cutout for the fifth door suggests that the tailgate has a narrow opening, potentially blocking access to the luggage compartment.

The heart of Jaguar’s long-nosed electric GT will be a sizeable battery pack Coach estimated at 120 kWh. On a full charge, the first of a new wave of luxury models with the jumping cat will travel a distance of 644 kilometers, probably according to the WLTP cycle. The vehicle has been developed on a tailor-made platform exclusively intended for electric vehicles. Top equipment rode shotgun in a prototype and learned that it has air suspension and dual valve damping all around, similar to a Range Rover.

Given the car’s grandeur and enormous wheelbase, the addition of rear-wheel steering is no surprise. Jaguar has designed the rear wheels to steer at a maximum angle of six degrees to the front wheels to reduce the turning circle. Not that many owners will ever test the top speed, but Piston heads reports that one of the prototypes effortlessly reached a speed of 257 km/h, while remaining eerily quiet thanks to noise cancellation.

Managing director Rawdon Glover told our sister site Indoor EVs that Jaguar has built 150 prototypes and that the final design is frozen. The test fleet is currently being evaluated worldwide under the toughest conditions. When it’s ready to step into the spotlight, the lavish EV will start at $120,000, with order books expected to open next summer.

Photo by: Jaguar

It remains to be seen whether the four-digit horsepower will entice buyers. Be that as it may, Jaguar has accepted that it will likely alienate most of its current customers. Earlier this year, Glover estimated that only 15 percent of Type 00 buyers will be repeat customers. In other words, 85 percent will be new to the brand.

Moving to a higher price point than previous models will directly impact sales. Jaguar is already on a slippery slope, having halted production of all but one model. Last year, the company delivered only about 33,000 cars, compared to 181,500 vehicles in 2018.

27

Source: Jaguar

Based on the latest data from the European Association of Automobile Manufacturersthe numbers will be even lower in 2025. In October, Jaguar registrations fell by 86.2 percent to 2,845 units in 27 EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. No global figures are available, but all signs point to 2025 being much worse than 2024.

The new Jaguar will no longer prioritize sales volume; instead, it will aim for higher profit margins. It’s too early to say whether real money can be made from an electric car, as they are notoriously more expensive to build than internal combustion engine cars. With a remarkably bold design, an unusual shape and a high price tag, the outlandish GT is a risky bet. The controversial marketing campaign that signaled Jag’s new direction only adds to the uncertainty.