Jaguar to move upmarket, increase prices with next generation of electric vehicles
It's believed the line-up will comprise several crossover SUVs, and a more traditional two-door sports car. Pricing will begin in the region of $185,000.
Jaguar plans to move upmarket and complete with Bentley in the luxury SUV segment, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) CEO Thierry Bolloré revealed this week in an interview with British motoring outlet Auto Express.
Mr Bolloré – who formerly headed-up French automotive giant Renault – noted “initial design work” has already been completed for the next generation of battery-electric Jaguars, set to be introduced in 2025.
It’s believed the new range will comprise several road-focused crossover SUVs, and a more traditional two-door sports car. The electric Jaguar I-Pace (shown below) will likely be the only existing model retained in the line-up.
Pricing will begin “in the region of £100,000 (AU$185,000)," according to Mr Bolloré. For reference, the current Bentley Bentayga starts from £133,100 (AU$245,000) in Britain.
The company is, however, still looking for a "suitable electric car platform" to underpin the new line-up.
Earlier this month JLR confirmed it had begun testing on a new hydrogen fuel-cell drivetrain in the UK, currently fitted to a Land Rover Defender development mule. It is unclear at this stage if the technology will rolled out broadly across the range, or instead will be limited to off-road models.
At the time, a spokesperson for the manufacturer in Australia told Drive: “This is just a prototype, and the Defender was simply picked as a test-bed for research … when the time comes to go to market, we’ll have more to say.”