It has been over a year and a half since our screens were lit up by a pink form which was meant to be from an iconic British brand. That brand being Jaguar and it is set to announce this coming autumn the new Jaguar Type 01 production car. Until now we have only seen the concept car, the Type 00 and a few cars testing in camouflage.

However, I have been fortunate as an undergraduate in automotive & transportation design at Coventry University to have spent some time with the physical concept car and have not only seen it from different angles, but also in its bold and questionable exterior colours.

I remember when this car was first shown to the world via a few images in very bright pink, I was very unsure of it. At the time me and my colleagues in the university design studio sat down to discuss the concept and had mixed thoughts and opinions about it. The question which we kept coming back to was, ‘what really makes it a Jaguar?’

The reason this question kept coming up was because of the very controversial advert campaign the company did, which did not show or feel like it was linked to a historic brand like Jaguar. Many saw this advertising campaign as vastly different and just a way to kill a brand. However, one thing it did cause was an enormous amount of interest and discussion about Jaguar, a brand which only a few years back was struggling to stay alive. It surprised me how intrigued a lot of the world outside the car community became about this radical new stance an automotive brand had taken. Some will say it is a positive thing, and I think it certainly is.

UP CLOSE WITH THE TYPE 00

Being up close with the 1:1 scale clay model of the Type 00 concept did change my opinion on the car. Maybe it was because it was in a very unattractive grey colour which helped, but when seeing it with my own eyes the proportions of the car are truly something. Due to how Jaguar originally launched the new brand identity and the concept, we didn't really get a sense of how tall it is. I can tell you that it is a low, modern vehicle. The stance which the concept had in the studio reminded me of the Jaguar E-Type. I know that might sound crazy, but the long straight front end which leads up to a gradual descending roofline over the passenger cabin really does remind me of it.

The strangest feature of the concept for me was the box-like shape on the side of the car behind the front wheels. I struggled to understand the reason for this feature as it didn't seem to serve any real purpose, but I think it was intended to link with the gold motorised camera mirror positioned behind a copper-like panel.

One part of this concept car which we will definitely not be seeing in the upcoming Type 01 is the autonomous butterfly doors. As the concept is a three-door, Jaguar clearly wanted to do something radical and unlike anything they had done before. It did look impressive when they opened, but even then, it seemed unrealistic. I think internally within the design team they wanted that cool factor, the same feeling you get when a Lamborghini Countach appears in a famous film.

The wheels, like most EVs on the roads today, are quite a large diameter and this really helps the Type 00 have quite a stance. The rims shown are very thin and conceptual looking, however I believe they will continue with a similar style in the production vehicle.

On the inside, what was shown was something straight out of a fashion or architecture magazine. The material choices the design team decided on, such as a stone centre console section and gold accents, are things we don't tend to see much in production cars due to their weight and manufacturing costs at scale. From what can be told so far, JLR is trying to reduce the number of controls available to the driver, with the steering wheel expected to have controls for both the height of the steering column and its length.

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS AUTUMN?

As we already know, the performance figures for this car are extremely impressive and many have been caught saying that it does feel like a ‘Jaaaaag’, but what else can be told from what we have seen so far?

We are expecting the production car to be a five-door vehicle compared to its concept counterpart, in a possible four-seater configuration. Another interesting detail which can be observed from recent video test drives of the first two pre-production prototypes is that there will be no rear windscreen. This is not a new idea in a production car, as it has been seen previously on the Polestar 4. The reason for this design feature is to allow the rear occupants more headroom for getting in and out, and because Jaguar are trying to promote the idea of luxury it fits rather well into the concept.

The side windows are expected to be quite small and sit at about shoulder height. This has become a common feature in new electric vehicles to maximise interior space and focus the occupant on key visual areas such as the mirrors. We are also expecting a panoramic sunroof section running through the whole cabin. I’m not sure if this will be like the electric tinting shade found in current Porsche models, but it would not surprise me. I believe this could be a standard option on the vehicle, but we will have to wait and see.

My biggest question from what I have seen so far is whether the rear doors are going to be extremely small. From what we have seen, it looks like that both the three-door concept and the upcoming production car are going to be the same length at 5.2 metres. It just seems to me from images of the car in its strange spy livery that the rear door structure is a lot longer than the window itself.

Jaguar is aiming this car for a select customer who wants something bold, that drives like a Jaguar, but who are also willing to spend upwards of £120,000.

As a young upcoming automotive designer, I see this being a very popular and interesting vehicle for not only new customers but also for some veteran Jaguar owners. This is my personal view, and we will have to wait and see what comes later this year. Will Jaguar be able to save themselves from a complete downfall? Only time will tell but I think they have a good go at saving the historic brand.

BIO - Michael Atkins

Michael is an undergraduate student in Automotive & Transport Design at Coventry University with experience in both the automotive and superyacht industries. He has previously completed work experience at Morgan Motor Company, developing two concept vehicles. He has also taken part in design challenges with MG Motor and Volvo Cars. Alongside design, he has a strong interest in emerging vehicle technologies and the future of mobility.