Jaguar's Dh500,000 EV concept in 'Barbie pink' expected to hit UAE roads in 2026

The Type 00 also moves away from the marque's famed leaping cat logo

Carmaker Jaguar unveiled its new electric concept car to mixed reactions from the motoring community. Photo: Jaguar

Few advertisement campaigns have been as comprehensively eviscerated as Jaguar’s 30-second teaser heralding its new-generation EV. The public response to the prototypes of the car, released on Tuesday at Miami Art Week, has been slightly less acerbic, but not by much. At the very least, Jaguar has captured the world’s attention, so the carmaker’s ploy may well be akin to the old “any publicity is good publicity” ruse.

Details about the battery-powered newcomer – designated as Type 00 – are sparse, and the only tangible clues we have for now are a pair of long-snouted cars in Miami pink and London blue. It is expected to cost more than Dh500,000 ($136,000). Jaguar insiders suggest the Type 00 will eke out more than 580hp from its dual electric motors and be capable of covering about 700km on a full charge.

The EV will also be available in blue, and the brand's leaping cat logo is likely to change. Photo: Jaguar

The production reality is likely to still be at least a year away, with a UAE launch expected to take place in 2026. For the time being, Jaguar has axed production of all its current models – barring the F-Pace – so the latter may be the only new vehicle available to buy in local showrooms in the latter half of next year.

Essentially, Jaguar is rebooting the system prior to the debut of the newbie, but the obvious risk is that it’s alienating the brand’s traditional audience in the process. A battery-powered GT may not be what Jaguarphiles are pining after, but that’s what we’re getting, so the apparent intention is to target a new customer base.

Jaguar boss Rawdon Glover claims the design of currently available EVs is too generic, with many of them appearing as though they were designed purely in the wind tunnel to generate low drag and thereby enhance efficiency and range. The way he sees it, the Type 00 will shatter design norms, and hence Jaguar’s taglines of “Copy nothing” and “Break moulds”.

Although unfavourably compared to cars driven by Barbie and the cartoon character Pink Panther, the renderings of the Type 00 illustrate a car with classic GT proportions, featuring a wide stance, long bonnet and fastback roofline.

There’s more than a hint of Rolls-Royce Spectre in the concept’s proportions, although Jag executives will undoubtedly dismiss any such comparisons. The one notable point of difference is that the Type 00’s production version will have four doors, whereas the Rolls-Royce is a traditional coupe.

Glover has cryptically revealed Jaguar’s “leaping cat” and “growler” motifs will live on in reimagined form. We’ve yet to see what that will be, though, as the teaser advertisement previewed only the brand name written out in a sans serif font, a logo that has no resemblance whatsoever to the badging worn by the brand’s current vehicles.

A fully electrified luxury offering runs the risk of appealing to only a small niche market, but Jaguar says it’s not chasing sales volume with the newcomer. It’s possible the exclusivity of the Type 00’s production version – be it intended or otherwise – will be enough of a hook to lure buyers who don’t want to be part of the BMW, Audi or Mercedes cohort.