Uncensored CMO
Rory Sutherland & Rawdon Glover - How Jaguar Pulled Off a Design & Engineering Miracle
Why It Matters
The discussion shows how legacy luxury brands can reinvent themselves in the EV era by prioritising brand DNA over pure speed, offering consumers a vehicle that feels both familiar and futuristic. For marketers and product leaders, the episode illustrates the power of aligning design vision with engineering innovation to create a differentiated, high‑touch experience that resonates with discerning buyers.
Key Takeaways
- •Heritage‑driven design shapes Jaguar’s new electric performance.
- •Over 1,000 hp, 700 km range, low 1.4 m height.
- •Battery placed ahead of bulkhead adds 70 mi range without compromise.
- •All‑wheel steering gives five‑meter car turning circle like Fiat 500.
- •Ice‑lake and desert tests validate grip, efficiency, and durability.
Pulse Analysis
Jaguar’s latest electric SUV fuses the brand’s storied heritage with cutting‑edge performance. By distilling the essence of classic Jaguars—refinement, control, and emotional resonance—the team ensured the new model feels like an evolution of the XJ rather than a generic EV. The result is a vehicle delivering over 1,000 horsepower, 0‑60 in under three seconds, and a respectable 700 km (≈435 miles) range, all while maintaining a low 1.4 m silhouette that echoes the iconic long‑bonnet proportions of the E‑Type and XJ.
Technical ingenuity underpins this balance of power and comfort. Engineers repositioned the battery pack ahead of the cabin bulkhead, a move that adds roughly 70 miles of range without raising the vehicle’s height, and re‑engineered crash energy management to preserve safety. A dual‑motor rear setup supplies 950 hp, while all‑wheel steering shrinks the turning circle of a five‑meter‑long car to that of a Fiat 500, delivering sports‑car agility in a luxury SUV. Advanced chassis tuning and low‑travel suspension provide a ride quality comparable to the classic XJ, disproving the assumption that high performance must sacrifice refinement.
Jaguar validates its claims through extreme testing—ice‑lake runs in Sweden, scorching desert trials, and rigorous cold‑start evaluations—ensuring grip, efficiency, and durability under the harshest conditions. The vehicle targets discerning buyers who crave individuality, heritage storytelling, and tangible performance over headline 0‑60 figures. By marrying iconic design language with innovative engineering, Jaguar positions this EV as a premium alternative that honors its past while confidently stepping into the electric future.
Episode Description
Last year, I sat down with Jaguar MD Rawdon Glover to unpack one of the most controversial rebrands in automotive history. Now, the car is real and I got a chance to ride around the test track in it.
Joined by Rory Sutherland, we travelled to Jaguar’s HQ to experience the new car in prototype form. What followed was a conversation on whether this radical reinvention is genius or madness.
We dive into the thinking behind the design, the disappearing trade-offs between performance and comfort, and why Jaguar is deliberately challenging convention. Rory brings his trademark perspective on behaviour and perception, including how to rethink “range anxiety” and what makes a product feel truly desirable.
This is a rare look inside a brand attempting one of the boldest transformations in modern automotive history.
Timestamps
00:00 - Start
01:10 - What has gone into creating the new Jaguar?
04:00 - Balancing performance and comfort
05:43 - The power of choosing conflicting goals
07:51 - Why the new Jaguar is being tested on ice?
10:32 - How close is the concept car to the production car?
12:54 - Who is the target audience for the new Jaguar?
14:30 - The design process of the new Jaguar
18:41 - The Spirit of Jaguar Campaign
20:46 - Why the metrics for electric cars need to change
22:13 - Why the new Jaguar is a bargain at £130,000
25:34 - Will petrolheads like this car?
26:37 - Why electrification changes the paradigm of what’s possible
30:47 - Rory’s pitch for removing battery anxiety
33:08 - Why Ferrari and Lamborghini took different approaches to EVs
35:21 - Will the new Jaguar be a Waymo?
36:27 - How are Jaguar predicting demand for this car?
36:41 - How will Jaguar predict demand for the car?
37:57 - The marketing plan for the new Jaguar
40:57 - Is the residual value of electric cars a worry?
42:12 - Customisation options for the new Jaguar
46:03 - What would Rory do if he was in charge of Jaguar
49:26 - The decision behind the bold car colours
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