Concept images of what appears to be British luxury vehicle company Jaguar’s upcoming electric vehicle leaked online Monday morning hours before its planned release, multiple automotive publications reported, following weeks of controversy over the company’s colourful rebrand.
Key Facts
- British automotive publication AutoCar published pictures of the supposed concept car Monday morning, stating they were first posted to the car forum Coche Spias, calling it “completely unrelated to any Jaguar model that has gone before.”
- The concept images depict a bright pink vehicle with a more minimalist design, featuring an oval-shaped steering wheel, a wide front grill and no rear window, suggesting cameras may be used to show drivers the road behind them.
- The Jaguar emblem, which the company had said would be reimagined, is located on a gold plate next to the front left wheel, a departure from previous designs that have featured a roaring jaguar on the front grill, a leaping jaguar on the back of the vehicle and a jaguar hood ornament.
- Jaguar previously said it would reveal more details about its company rebrand and the concept for its upcoming vehicles on Dec. 2 at Miami Art Week.
- Jaguar spokesperson Joseph Stauble did not confirm or deny whether the images are authentic but told Forbes the company is “aware of images circulating online ahead of Jaguar’s official reveal” and urged viewers to watch the Miami Art Week reveal on Jaguar’s Instagram and TikTok profiles Monday evening.
- Stauble told Forbes the company chose Miami Pink and London Blue as the colors for its “design vision” to celebrate the “vibrancy” of Miami and as a “nod to Jaguar’s British heritage.”
Why Is Jaguar’s Rebrand So Controversial?
Jaguar first teased a dramatic company rebrand in a 30-second advertisement last month after wiping its social media accounts clean. The ad was a notable departure from its previous image, featuring a diverse cast of models posing and walking through colorful sets with no cars in the video.
The ad confounded social media users and many responses were highly critical, some of whom slammed it as a “woke” rebrand. The most-liked comment on Jaguar’s Instagram post, with more than 55,000 likes, compared the ad to the children’s television program “Teletubbies.” Nigel Farage, a British Member of Parliament and leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, posted a video to X comparing Jaguar to Bud Light, the beer brand that faced boycotts after a brief marketing partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney last year.
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What Has Jaguar Said About Its Rebrand?
The company has repeatedly defended itself on social media and in official statements. “Our brand relaunch for Jaguar is a bold and imaginative reinvention and as expected it has attracted attention and debate,” Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson Joseph Stauble told Forbes in November, stating the new design “preserved iconic symbols while taking a dramatic leap forward.”
The company’s official social media account has also responded to various critics in defense of itself—including Elon Musk, who had responded to Jaguar’s advertisement questioning whether the company still sells cars. “Yes. We’d love to show you. Join us for a cuppa in Miami on 2nd December?” the company told Musk. In response to another user who said Jaguar was “tarnished,” the company said: “Quite the opposite. This is a renaissance.”
Key Background
Jaguar’s rebrand coincides with the company’s committed pivot to electric vehicles. Adrian Mardell, CEO of JLR, the holding company that owns Jaguar, said earlier this year the company would stop producing all vehicles in its lineup aside from the F-Pace because they generated “close to zero profitability,” voicing a commitment to become electric only by 2025.
This article was originally published on forbes.com.
