Jaguar’s most powerful road car leaves the rear window behind
NEW YORK — Jaguar has kept the long bonnet of its classic grand tourers for the electric Type 01, even though there is no petrol engine beneath it. Unveiled in New York on 6 October, the four-door GT carries the low roof and 23-inch wheels of the Type 00 concept into production. Jaguar is betting those proportions will help it win buyers willing to spend more than they would on a conventional premium electric car.
From the show car to a four-seat GT
Jaguar’s 2024 rebrand drew attention with a campaign that featured no car. The two-door Type 00 concept followed a month later and divided opinion over how much of the old Jaguar buyers could still recognise. The most consequential change for production is also the most practical. Rear passengers now have doors of their own, and there is 450 litres of luggage space for four people heading away for the weekend.
The designers held on to one less conventional feature. There is no rear window. A camera shows the traffic behind on a display at the base of the windscreen, set at the same height as the door mirrors so the driver can check all three views along one line of sight. Inside, a raised console runs the length of the cabin, separating the four seats. A seven-inch touchscreen between the front occupants handles the climate and audio controls, leaving the 24-inch OLED instrument display to the driver.
What 757 kW means on the open road
One electric motor at the front and two at the rear give the Type 01 up to 757 kW and 1,365 Nm, making it Jaguar’s most powerful road car. Jaguar claims 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. The more revealing figure for a grand tourer is how much acceleration remains once it reaches that speed. Jaguar says it takes just four more seconds to reach 180 km/h.
For a driver planning a long trip, Jaguar offers two range estimates. The 118 kWh usable battery is projected to deliver up to 720 km on the combined WLTP test cycle, falling to about 515 km at sustained highway speeds. Access to a sufficiently powerful charger will shape the journey too. Jaguar says a 350 kW DC charger can add around 320 km of range in 13 minutes.
Where South Africa fits into the launch
Jaguar anticipates a US starting price of $130,500. Managing director Rawdon Glover told reporters he sees an opening between established premium electric cars and the much more expensive models sold by luxury marques. Orders are expected to open in early 2027, with the first deliveries anticipated in the second half of the year.
South African buyers have yet to receive a local price or order date, JLR had still to confirm the Type 01 for the local market.
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