Jaguar Reboots All-Electric XJ Project

Jaguar's beloved XJ will be replaced by an even larger, more luxurious electric vehicle. This latest development comes from the people at Autocar, who spoke to a source familiar with the matter. According to the source, the luxury limousine will launch in 2025, followed by two crossovers, one of which will be a Bentley Bentayga rival.

Jaguar (now called JLR) is going more upmarket, which means the XJ successor will be even larger, more luxurious, and completely redesigned. It will be the second time the XJ receives a massive design overhaul, as the X351 was a massive departure from the round headlight styling used since the Series 1 was introduced in 1968. It will also be the first time the XJ won't be powered by six-, eight-, or 12-cylinder engines.

All three models will use the all-new JAE electric vehicle platform, designed specifically for next-gen Jags. This new platform is particularly interesting, as Jag's future success depends on it.

Jaguar already had an electric XJ in the pipeline, and it would have been introduced last year. But Thierry Bollore axed the fully-electric XJ shortly after being named the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover in September 2020. Bollore has since left the company, but his argument against the originally planned model is shared by current JLR CEO Adrian Mardell.

"Otherwise, it doesn't quite look as potent and exuberant as you would wish it to. This wheelbase and this architecture will deliver the design intent," Mardell said when asked why Jag needs its own platform. Soon after canning the proposed electric XJ, Bollore noted that it "was a completely different kind of car from the ones we were proposing - different in technology, battery chemistry, electronics, size, performance, and market position. It would never have suited our plans."

According to Autocar, Jag's upcoming trio will sell for between $126,000-$158,000, right up there in Mercedes-Benz EQS and BMW i7 territory. The minimum power output will be in the region of 450 horses, while the range will be between 385 to 475 miles.

Jaguar desperately needs this move because it currently has nothing else going for it. The I-Pace EV is already horribly outdated compared to much newer rivals, and its most desirable model, the F-Type, is on the way out.

While we'll miss the splendiferous supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that powered the now-discontinued XJ and XJR, an electric powertrain is much better suited to luxury motoring. An electric motor has loads of low-down torque and runs in near silence. Not to mention the lack of vibration.

Still, the competition in that particular segment is fierce, with American rivals like the Lucid Air falling into the same category. The next XJ, or whatever Jag calls it, will have to be exceptional.