British luxury brand Jaguar built its final combustion car in December last year, but it didn’t necessarily have to be that way. In fact, the company had four new, next-generation cars in the pipeline before it decided to cancel all of them in favor of exclusively producing six-figure EVs. The revelation came through iconic former Jag designer Ian Callum, who worked for the automaker from 1999 to 2019 and was credited with evolving the brand from a company that made BMW and Mercedes alternatives that looked old-school on the day they were released to fresh but distinctive 3 Series and E-Class alternatives that looked modern without losing their sense of tradition.
Four Next-Gen Jags Lost As “What-Ifs” We’ll Likely Never See
Michael Harley/Autoblog
Jaguar’s last new model was launched in 2018, a year before Callum left, and he wasn’t idle in that year. Speaking on the Road to Success podcast, Callum said that he and his successor, Julian Thomson (who left in 2021, for the record), “created quite a lot of new Jaguars before I left” that were “all taken away.” What were those, you ask? You can probably guess: replacements for the XF sedan (3 Series fighter), the XJ (S-Class alternative), and the brand’s bestseller, the F-Pace SUV. Proof that Jaguar was fairly far along with these can still be found on X (formerly Twitter), where a split headlight design that looked very cat-like was being prepared for the XJ. It’s been said that the stillborn electric XJ’s platform found its way to the controversial Type 00, and that trying to update this for Jaguar’s new goals is part of why it’s been so heavily delayed.
So the stillborn X360 Jaguar ‘XJ-E’ has leaked. I’m still after the studio launch photos… pic.twitter.com/TrtdnCuOLt
— Richard Seddon (@RikSed) November 17, 2024
For those of you keeping count, we’ve only mentioned three Jags that faced the chopping block. The fourth Jaguar model that was canned was a new F-Type sports car, which was adored by all who drove it, despite its tiny trunk. The cars weren’t just being considered by being developed, explained the designer, saying they “were all in the cards, they were all being done.” Callum also indicated that he knows why they were dropped in favor of the EV-only plan, but didn’t elaborate. “That was all stopped. Just like that,” Callum said.
Jaguar’s Electric Future Is Set in Stone, Callum Likes the Look (Kinda)
Jaguar via Top Gear
When asked what he thinks about the Type 00, which has only been revealed in concept form (camouflaged prototypes have also been spotted testing), Callum said, “It’s a handsome car, it’s bold, it’s brave, and it’s got a lot of good design attributes about it. But it’s not beautiful, and Jaguars need to be beautiful.” The legendary designer added that it’s “just too retro,” but regardless of what he or anyone else thinks, Jaguar is plowing ahead, not just with the unusual look, but also with an all-electric powertrain. Rumors of a range-extender powertrain have been shut down by the brand, and despite Jaguar dealers questioning the strategy, there’s no adjustment on the horizon.
There’s also uncertainty in today’s Jaguar design department. Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern was supposedly fired from the role last year, and when asked about this rumor, Jaguar responded that his employment had not been terminated, yet did not confirm that he still held the same position. Given that the Type 00 has not been well received by most and that EVs are not as popular as expected, one can’t help but wonder if those four stillborn cars should be on sale right now.