Leaked images of Jaguar’s much-hyped electric concept car have appeared hours before the model’s official unveiling in Miami – revealing a vehicle that may just about live up to its controversial advertising pledge to be radically new.
Early online reaction suggests that the concept car, a sleek long-bonnet electric model in shocking pink, might indeed appear more familiar to fans of Barbie or the Pink Panther than the traditional owners of a Jag.
The most eye-catching features, bar the colours, include the lack of a rear windscreen, with rear-view cameras instead installed under gold patches behind the front wheel.
Above sizeable wheels and wheel arches, the car’s distinctive front end is capped by a windscreen that appears to meld into the side windows, which taper towards the back of the car, contributing to what Autocar describes as “a wraparound effect reminiscent of a racing helmet”.
It is unclear how the leaked images will exactly correspond to the concept car to be revealed in Miami later (at 8pm EST on Monday, 1am BST on Tuesday). Jaguar Land Rover had previously said that its first electric model would be a four-door saloon, but the leaked images appear to show only two doors.
A spokesperson said the firm was “aware of images circulating online ahead of Jaguar’s official reveal at Miami Art Week”.
The interior shots also show a driver’s seat without any speedometer – required by law in most countries – or in-car touchscreen entertainment systems, which are seen as standard features even in mid-range cars.
However, Jaguar confirmed that the colours at least were accurate. The spokesperson said: “For the design vision, we have chosen Miami pink and London blue. Miami pink celebrates the vibrancy of the city while London blue, a modern take on the opalescent silver blue of the E-Type, is a nod to Jaguar’s British heritage.”
The jettisoning of much of that traditional heritage has been trailed in teaser ads featuring diverse models and no actual cars and the tagline “copy nothing”, a break from advertising tradition that has generated widespread publicity and controversy, including criticism of Jaguar in some quarters for selling “woke” cars.
Jaguar executives said that the carmaker had to target a new generation as it transitioned from selling diesel models. The electric car, which is not planned to go on sale until 2026, is expected to retail at more than £100,000.
The carmaker, which is owned by India’s Tata group, has been slower than many rivals to embrace electric cars, selling only one model, the ageing Jaguar I-Pace. However, it is investing £18bn to produce battery versions of its lineup alongside petrol cars. Deliveries of the electric Range Rover, made in its main factory in Solihull in the West Midlands, will start at the end of next year.
