33Jaguar is gearing up for its biggest product launch in a generation, confirming that its polarising all-electric GT car – the Jaguar Type 01 – will finally be revealed in the autumn. JLR’s chief commercial officer, Leonard Hoornik, told a crowd at the firm’s 2026 Investor Day that the company will “launch [Type 01] in October in New York in a very special way. From then onwards, it's all go.” On stage, Hoornik expressed his excitement for the upcoming model launch: “It's really, really fantastic what [Type 01] can do,” he said, admitting that initial negative reaction to the company’s rebrand had “turned around into a positive”. He referred to Jaguar as “an engineering marvel”, with an unwavering focus on making the Type 01 “the [most] innovative car ever”. Last month, Jaguar announced the name of its all-electric grand tourer at the 2026 Monaco Formula E event, complete with a new red and white livery previewing just a little bit more of its eccentric design. At the time, Jaguar also released a new image revealing the Type 01’s badge, saying “the name appears on the strikethrough motif where the bonnet meets the windscreen, with bold and linear graphics”. Confirmation of its official name follows rumours of other monikers that Jaguar was considering, including GT and X900. The latter is still believed to be the car’s internal model code, but Jaguar decided to lean a little deeper into its history with its naming choice, bringing back the ‘Type’ format along with the numbers 0 and 1. These represent the new model’s emissions, and the fact it’s the first of a new generation of cars from the company. The Type 01 is due to be revealed in full in the US this October, with pricing expected to start from around £120,000. But we’re told this is merely a starting point, with owners encouraged to personalise their car through an array of different colours and interior options. Auto Express has already been behind the wheel of the 986bhp electric grand tourer, giving us a good idea of what to expect from the ultra-luxurious model when it finally hits the road. Underneath the new Jaguar’s 5.2 metre-long body, the Type 01 sits on a brand-new platform, the Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA), and features an 850-volt electrical system, 120kWh battery pack and three e-motors – one up front, and two at the back. Combined power output will be around 1,000bhp, plus a colossal 1,300Nm of torque. This is within spitting distance of what the original Bugatti Veyron had at launch, and as in that car, the 0-62mph sprint should take just over three seconds. However, the Jaguar is also a lot heavier than the Veyron, weighing in at around 2,700kg, which also makes it some half-a-tonne heavier than a Porsche Taycan. That’s the main side effect of having an enormous battery pack, which will provide up to 435 miles of range from a single charge. Plus, Jaguar says it can be recharged at 350kW, meaning owners can add 200 miles of range in less than 15 minutes. 33Keeping that weight in check and hopefully delivering the ride quality of a true Jaguar, the four-door GT’s chassis includes twin-chamber air suspension and adaptive dampers, and rear-wheel steering is supposed to give the big cat a turning circle to match a Honda Civic’s. Jaguar is resolute that the car will be electric-only, with the company having no desire or ability to slot in an internal combustion powertrain, and its managing director Rawdon Glover is adamant that this is still the correct decision. Speaking to Auto Express last year before giving us a very early look at the production Type 01, Glover said: “The most important thing is that it won’t be bought just because it is an electric car.” He continued: “People buy these cars because they want to picture themselves getting out of it, want it to look stunning, and want it to be a relaxing place to be inside. The powertrain is a long way down the list.” According to the Jaguar chief, although its new car will come with an entry price of around £120,000, the brand is moving to a “centre of gravity” of around £140,000. Glover insisted that Jaguar has the ability to succeed at the higher price, but said it is “conditional”. He continued: “It needs to be executed well, we need to offer an incredible level of service – which is a given – and it’s got to be great. If we execute well, this will work.” Glover said there is a gap between the top premium brands just below that level, and the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, which are at £280,000-plus. “It’s something we have done in the past, and when we clinic unbranded, people are thinking uber-luxury, and more than 1,000PS for the top end of premium… there is a space for us to be in.” What the four-door GT won’t do, however, is come with a range of trim levels. There will be a base car, but Glover says bespoke services “are expected at that level”, so a high level of customisation and very limited-run special-edition models at much higher price points are on the cards. “Lots of competitors do bespoke personalisation, and then it’s elastic,” he told Auto Express. “The expectation is that if you are buying a car like that, you want to make it your own, and then there is a much higher level of revenue. Short runs or bespoke cars are part of our product plan.” Orders for the Jaguar GT will open in the second half of 2026, with the first cars delivered to customers in just over a year from now. 33Jaguar is now moving to what Glover described as “the end of the beginning” and he reiterated his belief in the approach of moving Jaguar away from its mainstream position, despite the controversy the Type 00 concept car created around the world when it was unveiled late in 2024. “The irony of the whole furore [around the concept car] is that this car is taking us back into the territory where it has that wow factor like nothing else on the road, rather than very competent saloons and SUVs,” Glover told us. “We’ve got a history of breaking the mould and starting again, and this is an answer to the question of ‘What should a 21st century Jaguar look like?’. “It should look like nothing else on the road, lower slung, dramatic proportions, sense of drama; it is a statement and a car that will not go unnoticed,” Glover continued. “It’s what a Jaguar should look like and this is where Jaguar is at its best: the E-Type, XJ220, XJS, XJC – at the time a Jaguar wasn’t anything that looked like that, and this is why we’re doing the four-door GT first.” Although the various prototype cars we’ve seen spy shots of and taken a ride in have been disguised, it’s clear that Jaguar is pursuing a different route to other brands with its styling. Glover explained the thinking behind the look of the car in a previous interview earlier in 2025: “We live in a world of small wheels, cars sitting high to package the battery, and that look like they were designed in a wind tunnel to maximise the range.” “We will do the opposite – vehicles that can create an emotional and visceral reaction with the driver. It needs to be a great driver’s car, but one you can drive mile after mile without it being draining, and it must be engaging. The chassis people say they have huge scope to make an engaging drive, but it’s got to drive like a Jaguar.” The British brand’s boss rejected any hint of nervousness about the new direction. “I’m not saying it will be easy – there will be a lot of conquest and we will definitely sell to multi-car Range Rover households,” he replied. “What is the alternative? Look at what is happening elsewhere – would I want to go into the mid-market or low-end and slug it out?” 33He said JLR is enjoying success when it comes to making beautiful, desirable vehicles with great design, pushing into higher price points. “We’ve done it with Range Rover, and most recently with Defender.” According to Glover, the new Land Rover Defender has doubled in price but tripled in volume compared with the previous long-standing model. “What we did with Defender was that the product transformation came first, and the brand after. With Jaguar, we are doing it simultaneously.” He also rejected concerns about moving to an electric vehicle-only plan, commenting that “very few” buyers of six-figure Jaguars will be single-car households; if 430 miles isn't enough range for them, then they will likely also have access to another car. “Visceral and emotional is why people buy cars at this price point, powertrain is way down. It’s about the brand, exterior design, interior design, and how the vehicle handles; people aren’t choosing because of the powertrain,” he said. “This car will be ready in late 2026, so the platform will be used for seven or eight years. To liken it to ice hockey, players skate to where the puck is going, not where it is now.” Our dealer network has 1,000s of great value new cars in stock and available now right across the UK. Find your new car…
+54 others
