Jaguar Type 01 – all-new GT EV with sharp styling, triple motors, 1,030 PS, 0-100 km/h in 3.2 secs, 720 km WLTP

At long last, Jaguar has revealed the car it has sacrificed everything for – its entire extant lineup, its brand heritage, even its raison d’être. This is the Type 01, the production version of the rectilinear luxury grand tourer that practically broke the Internet.

Built on a new, dedicated Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA), the Type 01 is first and foremost an EV, drawing on Jaguar’s experience racing in Formula E. It’s equipped with triple motors to deliver torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and a 30:70 torque split front to rear.

The entire setup punches out 1,030 PS (900 PS on the rear axle alone) and 1,365 Nm of torque, getting this massive four-door from zero to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. The carmaker is particularly proud of rolling acceleration even at higher speeds – the climb from 100 to 180 km/h takes just four seconds flat.

The company may have fumbled its strong start to EVs, but the Type 01 is at least at the sharp end, with an 850-volt electrical architecture and a massive 118 kWh NMC battery, the latter delivering a range of 720 km on the WLTP cycle (not quite the 770 km promised back in late 2024). This translates to up to 515 km of highway range, at a constant speed of 120 km/h.

Plus, with support for up to 320 kW of DC fast charging, the Type 00 can recover up to 321 km of range with just 13 minutes of charging; a split charging function also enables it charge at a 400-volt charger at up to 250 kW, rare for over-800-volt vehicles. The car will accept up to 22 kW of AC charging as standard.

As this is a modern Jaguar, the Type 01 is also mostly made out of aluminium, incorporating 73% of the stuff in its construction. With torsional rigidity of 51.7 kN per degree, the car is claimed to have the strongest underpinnings of any of the brand’s models, with features such as a high-voltage junction box that doubles as a front strut brace. It’s suspended on air springs and twin-valve adaptive dampers and supported by rear-wheel steering at up to six degrees.

But really, it’s the design that defines the Type 01, and even though we’ve had nearly two years to digest Jaguar’s, shall we say, bold new design direction, that imposingly bluff front end and almost total lack of curves still takes getting used to.

Virtually unchanged from the Type 00 concept that presaged it, the front fascia retains the ribbed “strikethrough” graphic, the new Jaguar script (in lieu of the “growler” roundel) and slim headlights – the thinnest ever on a Jaguar at only 84 mm thick, still with matrix LED functionality with 17,000 pixels on each side.

Along the side, one can spot the long bonnet and dash-to-axle ratio, which Jaguar says is akin to that of the iconic E-type. That vast bonnet does not hide a conventional front boot; instead, a “service stowage” allows emergency kit to be housed inside, which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity. A laser-etched brass-effect strip is the sole remaining appearance of the brand’s “leaper” graphic, sitting below the charging port.

Further back, the tapering low-slung glasshouse terminates far back to give the Type 01 somewhat of a fastback profile. The car measures a generous 5,235 mm long but only 1,403 mm tall, an impression enhanced by the huge standard-fit 23-inch wheels (21s optional, presumably for the benefit of ride comfort) and the crisp shoulder line that sits just above, a feature enabled by an elliptical wheel arch opening that maximises suspension travel.

Meanwhile, the rear quarter panel is deceptively complex, creased in multiple directions that converge at a single point. This three metre aluminium body side is what Jaguar calls the “Impossible” Panel (ugh), pressed in six stages with 2,500 tonnes of pressure using a four-storey-high machine, with engineers spending more than 1,500 hours to perfect the technique.

As previewed by the Type 00, there is no rear windscreen, with the driver instead getting their rear view through a camera and a display at the top of the dashboard, directly in their line of sight. The “strikethrough” graphic is again found at the rear in a full-width louvred panel that houses the twin taillight strips.

The whole look is finished by an anodised silver band that runs along the entire lower edge of the car. An active grille shutter, flush pop-out door handles (which can apparently punch through ice four millimetres thick) and a three-stage active rear spoiler combine to achieve a drag coefficient of just 0.23.

The minimalist design direction continues on the inside with a horizontal layered dashboard, a slim centre console and a distinct lack of physical controls. Instead, the driver is faced by a 24-inch display that stretches to the centre of the car, combining instrumentation and infotainment functions. A second seven-inch touchscreen controls the climate and audio functions.

Once again, a “strikethrough” pattern on the top of the dash continues that on the trailing edge of the bonnet, blurring the line between inside and out. Above it sits the industry’s first full-width, full-range sound bar that combines with hidden speakers (including those built into the front headrests) to provide audio, while cupholders and storage are all concealed and have to be pulled out for use.

Despite the battery’s sizeable capacity, the Type 01’s long wheelbase allows it to be split, providing a lower floor for the occupants’ feet and enabling a lower yet more natural seating position. The cabin itself is split into four zones, separated by a brass-like anodised aluminium strip that houses a second seven-inch screen for the rear passengers. The four seats are heated and cooled; the rear pews are foldable to boost luggage space from 450 litres to 1,000.

The Type 01 is a crucial new model for Jaguar, as it aims to rise above premium segment mediocrity and challenge brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Time will tell whether Coventry will achieve its lofty goal with such a polarising car – orders are only expected to open next year, with deliveries set to kick off in the second half. Are you a fan of the company’s new direction? Let us know in the comments.