Critics call Jaguar's new £130,000 Type 01 electric car a 'hearse' as fans turn on 'woke' rebrand
From the Newshound archive · first published 7 October 2026 · last updated 8 October 2026.
The Jaguar Type 01, a 1,000-horsepower electric grand tourer starting at around £125,000, targets wealthy younger American buyers rather than Jaguar's traditional British customer base.The cream leather interior of the Jaguar Type 01, which boasts a real-world range of up to 450 miles and sprints from 0–62mph in 3.2 seconds.
Jaguar has unveiled the production-ready Type 01 in New York, a £130,000 electric grand tourer with 1,015hp that can reach 62mph in 3.2 seconds — but the reveal has sparked a fierce backlash over its radical design. Craig Kinnersley, chief executive of private car collection consultancy IN, called it 'an unmitigated catastrophe for JLR', adding that it 'looks like a hearse'. The 5.2-metre-long, 2-metre-wide car is too large for the average British parking space and features no rear window.
Actress Florence Pugh, Jaguar's new brand ambassador, fronted the star-studded New York launch event.
Jaguar's managing director Rawdon Glover has openly targeted younger, wealthier American buyers, ditching its 'shrinking and ageing' base of 'men in their 50s'.
The launch comes two years after Jaguar's controversial 'Copy Nothing' rebrand caused ridicule — and after the brand stopped selling cars in the UK entirely in late 2024.
