Jaguar finally launched its new EV. Here’s what people are saying

On PistonHeads, someone warned about its ridiculous size for a sedan: “It’s only a couple of centimeters narrower than a transit van. I’ve been driving leviathan sized cars for decades, but that actually gives me pause.”

Meanwhile, on Reddit r/cars, the 2024 tsunami of hatred for Jaguar’s rebrand has turned into some surprising positive sentiment.

Some people were won over by the photos: “I like how ridiculous it looks. If I was in the market for a full sized sedan, I might consider it.”

In another post with a hands-on video, other people absolutely love it: “If you’re going to make a boring powertrain (EV), why not go absolutely crazy on the design? Sure I wish they still made an F-Type, but if you’re comparing like-to-like I’d take this over a [Ferrari’s Jony Ive-designed] Luce all day long.”

Even people who hate it seem to think the redesign was needed: “This is dumb, but for Jaguar to remain on their previous path was dumber.”

THE POSITIVE CRITICAL CONSENSUS

In the press, Jalopnik’s Daniel Golson argues, “There’s a lot of straight, hard lines, but the Type 01 is plenty curvy, too, and has plenty of details and elements that remind me of past Jaguars. As my colleague Brad pointed out, all the best Jaguars have looked like spaceships.” (Back in 2024, Golson was nearly alone when he defended the original renders.)

At The Drive, Nico DeMattia notes, “The proportions are intense: low roofline, short front overhang, XXL hood, extended rear overhang, shutters/louvers for days, and at each corner, massive 23-inch wheels.”

Alistair Weaver at Edmunds celebrates, writing, “The simplicity of the design is a welcome antidote to the complexity of many modern cars, and the proportions are terrific.” (He was not so enthusiastic in 2024, when he wondered whether the brand was alienating true car lovers for high-fashion gimmickry—while at the same time acknowledging that Jaguar was always the least conventional of the British sports car brands.)

Road & Track’s Mike Austin believes “the kind way to explain the way the Type 01 looks in person is that it has presence.” Like many others, originally his publication cried that Jaguar had thrown away its timeless heritage of flowing curves.

THE SKEPTICS AND PURISTS

Others are not so convinced. Detractors argue that the car’s design sacrifices passenger ergonomics, heritage, and cabin utility on the altar of radical redesign.

Top Gear’s Ollie Kew says, “The Type 01 is a space inefficient, selfish car.” (Previously, Kew had treated the original show car as an eccentric art-gallery joke.)

At The Autopian, Thomas Hundal slammed the architectural design: “To put it bluntly, the Type 01 is a monolith—a brutalist monument, and it turns its cheeks to the voluptuous forms of Jaguar’s past.”

Car and Driver’s Andrew Krok writes, “The Type 01 is not only Jaguar’s first EV, but it’s a design-first affair that puts a new spin on electric luxury vehicles.”

His outlet originally praised the design in the abstract as necessary shock therapy, but Krok is not a fan of the final design. He believes the roofline and massive rear pillar creates bad blind spots and cramped rear-seat quarters.