Ahead of its world premiere in New York this October, I got up close with the Jaguar Type 01 prototype at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Even under camouflage, it is clear that Jaguar is taking its biggest risk ever with the first model from the brand’s all-electric era. And no, it isn’t anything like a Cadillac Celestiq.
Here are the key things I noticed in person.
1. Proper grand tourer proportions
The first thing that stands out is the size and shape. The Type 01 does not look like a conventional electric sedan, and it certainly does not follow the SUV route.
In person, the proportions make the car look more like a modern electric GT than a direct rival to a BMW Alpina 7 Series or a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. The nose is long, the cabin sits far back, and the body has a strong, planted stance. That gives the prototype a more traditional grand tourer feel, even though the car underneath is fully electric.
2. Front end is dramatic
The camouflage hides the final surfacing, but the front end is still one of the most striking parts of the prototype. The nose appears wide and low, and the lighting area looks slim and tightly integrated into the bodywork.
There is no conventional grille, but the front graphic still gives the car a unique fascia. The lower bumper area also appears quite aggressive, suggesting that Jaguar wants this car to look athletic rather than soft or overly minimalist.
3. Stance makes it look expensive
The Type 01 sits low and wide, and that makes a big difference in person. The prototype’s large wheels, wide track, and muscular body sides help it look more premium than many electric sedans.
This is important because Jaguar is moving into a higher-end space with its next generation of EVs. The car will need to feel special enough to be cross-shopped with models from Porsche, Bentley, Mercedes, and Lucid. From a design standpoint, the prototype already appears to be heading in that direction.
4. Rear is the most unusual part
The rear section is likely to be the most talked-about area of the production car. Even with the camouflage, the Type 01 has a very distinctive tail, with a short deck and a clean, almost concept-like execution.
We had a close look at the rear, and the final rear treatment could be one of the car’s defining design features, devoid of a traditional windshield and featuring a Polestar 4-style rear camera.
5. Cabin remains under wraps
The interior was not fully visible on the prototype, but we already know that the three-spoke steering wheel will have vertical ribs and an offset third spoke and that the digital interface will be comparable to Audi’s curved display.
The low roofline and long body convey to me that Jaguar is focusing more on style and presence than maximum rear-seat space with this first product.
At a projected starting price of USD 130,000-150,000, this car will need to feel more special than a regular luxury EV, with high-end materials, strong digital features, and a layout that supports its grand tourer positioning.
6. Looks unlike anything Jaguar sold until recently
The biggest takeaway from seeing the Type 01 up close is that this car is design-led, and it does not look like a continuation of the XJ or the XF. It feels like a clean break, where Jaguar designers have been given full freedom to make something unique.
That may be risky, but it also gives Jaguar something it badly needs: a car that people will stop and talk about.
7. No gas or hybrid variant
Fans hoping for some kind of combustion variant in the future will be left disappointed due to the Type 01’s architecture. The Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA), unlike the EMA, will stay as a pure-EV play.
JEA, we don’t mind so much (having it BEV-only). It’s not a high-volume play for us. And as Thomas has mentioned, the BEV powertrain for that car is absolutely perfect and not only brings a smile to Thomas’s face, but also to my face when I get out driving it around the test tracks. It is absolutely phenomenal!
Richard Molyneux, CFO, JLR, at the Investor Day 2026 on June 17, 2026
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 17 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading global CEOs and vehicle developers.
