I LOVE Jaguars. My dream car as a teen boy was a 1954 XK140, and although I will always pick another Brit (Aston Martin, looking at you) over the leaping feline brand… it’s a close second. Well, apparently was a close second, because both their recent rebrand and the two concept EVs they unveiled are leaving me puzzled to say the least.
OK so… Jaguar rolled out a new look for its electric vehicles (EVs). It’s minimalist, it’s modern, and… it’s missing the actual jaguar. Bold move. But here’s the kicker: this chic new branding only applies to the EVs. The rest of their lineup? Sticking with the good old legacy identity. My opinion? It screams “We’re not totally sure this EV thing is gonna work out, so let’s hedge our bets. That’s not the kind of energy (electric or otherwise) a luxury brand should be putting out.
Two Personalities, One Brand?
My golden rule for brand identity? Consistency — the thread that ties a company’s entire aesthetic together. Jaguar, though, feels like it is trying to pull off a case of split personality. On one side, you’ve got the futuristic EVs with their minimalist new look. On the other, the gas-powered “classics” with their legacy design. Pick a lane, Jaguar.
This kind of duality might make sense in a brand’s experimental phase, but Jaguar isn’t some scrappy startup feeling out its place in the market. It’s a legacy brand with decades of cachet. If you’re trying to modernize, it can’t just be for one product category. Otherwise, the rest of the lineup starts to feel dated, like it’s stuck in a time capsule. Especially when the “new” design is such a departure from everything we’ve seen so far. Consistency isn’t just a design principle; it’s a trust-building exercise. Customers need to feel like they’re buying into a unified vision, not an assortment of ideas.
The Missing Jaguar
And about that new logo… where’s the jaguar? Ditching the iconic leaping feline (around since 1982!) feels like a major identity crisis. Sure, minimalism is in, but there’s a reason logos that actually reflect a brand’s name stick. The leaping jaguar was sleek, powerful, and unmistakably Jaguar. The new design? Let’s just say it’s not exactly roaring with personality. A simple custom sans serif (“Jaguar Exuberant”) that you will exclusively find in use on their EV “micro site”. The rest of the website (and their collateral!) still uses the time-tested previous type. Although the feline visual mark is also absent there. Weird.
The leaping jaguar wasn’t just a logo; it was a statement. It told you exactly what to expect: a car that’s sleek, dynamic, and fast. Scrapping it feels like Jaguar is trying to erase its DNA to appeal to a younger, more tech-savvy crowd. But in doing so, they’re also alienating long-time aficionado who loved the brand for what it represented. Just like taking the lion out of MGM—you’re left with something functional, but it doesn’t stir the soul.
What Jaguar Could’ve Done
Instead of playing it safe, Jaguar could’ve leaned all the way in. Update the entire brand to reflect where they’re headed while still nodding to their heritage. Imagine a modern take on the leaping jaguar, something that feels both futuristic and classic. A cohesive look that says, “We’re Jaguar, and we’re all in.” Or, more accurately, “We’re all in, but we’re still Jaguar!”
Porsche showed how it’s done when they rolled out the Taycan. They introduced a high-tech, fully electric car while keeping the brand’s essence intact—the design, the feel, the unmistakable Porsche identity. They didn’t just build an EV; they built an EV that felt like a Porsche. That’s how you bring customers along for the ride. Jaguar’s split approach just makes them look unsure of themselves.
To me, Jaguar feels stuck between past and future right now, and that’s not a good place to be. A brand needs to project confidence, and this two-faced strategy is sending mixed signals. If the EV branding is the future of Jaguar, then why not bring the whole brand along for the ride? If you’re asking customers to invest in your vision, you’ve got to go all in.
Because whether you’re a luxury car brand or an actual jaguar, hesitation doesn’t win races. And as much as we all love a sleek EV, what we really want is a Jaguar that knows exactly what it wants to be.
And… Just because you CAN change your spots, does it mean you SHOULD? Especially when it kinda makes you look like… a follower. I am personally shocked that this rebrand passed the focus group stage, as overlooking an automotive brand’s history and legacy for the sake of “embracing the now” is - ore often than not - a PR crisis in the making.
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