Jaguar XJ Set to Return as Electric-Only

Due for unveiling in late 2020, the flagship Jaguar eschews petroleum for pure electric power to counter Mercedes EQS electric sedan.

Back near the end of the New ’10s, Jaguar delivered its answer to Tesla (and, especially, the Model X): the I-Pace. From that point on, the British brand set out on a path where more of its models would become electric.

What better way, then, to take the next step than with Jaguar’s own flagship, the XJ. Auto Express recently spoke with company design chief Julian Thomson about the car, set for a late 2020 unveiling.

“It’s a car, which you make an emotional connection with,” said Thomson. “We don’t want all our people who get our cars to just sit in the back of them and just be driven around in them. They can be used like that, but at the end of the day, we know that these cars are there to be experienced and driven and enjoyed; enjoyable to sit in, relaxing to sit in, and beautiful to look at.”

The upcoming fourth-gen Jaguar XJ will be electric-only. It’ll also be based upon Jaguar Land Rover’s new Modular Longitudinal Architecture, which MotorTrend says will be the foundation for future Jags and Rovers.

“The new, all-electric XJ – extraordinarily remastered for the 21st century – will offer spiritual freedom for our customers,” said JLR chief Sir Ralf Speth. “Gliding in elegance, new tranquility and new functionality, and in full consciousness taking care of the environment.”

Built at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, England, competition for the electric XJ includes the Mercedes EQS, based on the S-Class. It also won’t look like the I-Pace, opting for the traditional sedan silhouette. According to Thompson, not every Jaguar EV needs to have a cab-forward design.

“It’s going to be a very, very luxurious, very, very calm, tranquil piece of transportation,” Thompson said. “But it’s not overtly flashy. It’s not overtly expensive.”

The electric Jaguar XJ won’t be alone, either. MotorTrend says it’ll be accompanied by a larger version of the I-Pace, the J-Pace. Unlike the former duo, though, the big EV will be rear-drive only. The future’s looking bright for the big cat.

Photos: Jaguar

Join the Jaguar Forums now!

Cameron Aubernon

Cameron Aubernon's path to automotive journalism began in the early New '10s. Back then, a friend of hers thought she was an independent fashion blogger.

Aubernon wasn't, so she became one, covering fashion in her own way for the next few years.

From there, she's written for: Louisville.com/Louisville Magazine, Insider Louisville, The Voice-Tribune/The Voice, TOPS Louisville, Jeffersontown Magazine, Dispatches Europe, The Truth About Cars, Automotive News, Yahoo Autos, RideApart, Hagerty, and Street Trucks.

Aubernon also served as the editor-in-chief of a short-lived online society publication in Louisville, Kentucky, interned at the city's NPR affiliate, WFPL-FM, and was the de facto publicist-in-residence for a communal art space near the University of Louisville.

Aubernon is a member of the International Motor Press Association, and the Washington Automotive Press Association.

Facebook   Twitter   Instagram