Jaguar’s First New Car After Its Rebrand Is Nothing Like You Expect

Do or Die for Jaguar

It’s been over a year since Jaguar faced a flurry of online abuse with its “Copy Nothing” campaign. It was supposed to be a reimagining of the British marque, but it became tabloid fodder in record time. Armchair pundits wasted no time blaming that for Jaguar‘s sales collapse this year, too.

But whatever your opinion on the whole matter is, here’s the truth: The reason for the company effectively having no sales this year is that it went on hiatus in 2025. It was to regroup before the launch of its first all-new model under the rebrand. You can’t have sales if you have nothing to sell in the first place.

Why did the brand do such a polarizing move? As good as the traditional models were, they simply weren’t selling. Many cried foul, but the products weren’t bringing in the money. Now, it’s time for Jaguar to prove to the world that reinvention was the only way forward. With that, select British press have driven the new Jaguar (JaGUar?), and you may (or may not) like the first impressions.

So, What’s it Called?

We’re half-tempted to call it the XJ. After all, the car is a low-slung four-door that measures over 210 inches, so one can say it’s patterned after Jaguar’s old traditional flagship sedan. That said, it doesn’t have a name yet, and given the brand’s stance on moving away from tradition, it might not be called XJ.

The British press has dubbed it simply as the GT. The name makes sense as Jaguar is pitching it as such. We’d choose that over Type 00, if we’re being honest. We’ll know more once the car is released, likely in mid to late 2026.

They’ve Seen It, But We’ll Have to Wait a Little Longer

The British press said they’ve seen the car sans its camouflage wrap. For now, we’ll have to take their word for it that it looks far better than they expected. That’s what The Independent said about the GT, with the words “striking” and “stunning” among the adjectives used to describe it. Evo used the same words, adding that it’s still closely related to the polarizing Type 00. Evo also mentioned that the car was no longer pink.

Other interesting details? Auto Express said the car has frameless doors to give it the classic four-door hardtop look. Despite the rakish profile, occupants apparently get a commanding driving position. Autocar noted the interior was still draped in covers, but saw glimpses of light-colored trim and a steering wheel that was ‘very reminiscent’ of the concept.

Riding Impressions

Now, those invited to see the car were allowed behind the wheel. Instead, it was JLR’s Vehicle Engineer Director who took members of the media around the company’s testing facility in Gaydon.

Noteworthy observations? Several pointed out linear acceleration instead of explosive off-the-line performance. “We’ve gone for a linear power delivery rather than one that gets you to 70-80 mph as quickly as possible, and then the acceleration drops off a cliff,” Becker told Evo. The ride was rated as pliant at lower speeds and planted at 150 mph. Meanwhile, refinement and isolation were “eerie,” as Autocar described. The common consensus? A promising product.

As for technical details, it’s still limited at the time of writing. What is confirmed is a tri-motor arrangement that puts out close to 1,000 hp combined. It uses a skateboard platform, so it seems unlikely it will ever come with an engine. Adaptive air suspension and torque vectoring are fitted.