While
we knew that Jaguar’s flagship would be going full-electric for its next
generation, the mule itself didn’t reveal anything about the styling. All of
that changes today thanks to this XJ prototype, seen here wearing its
production body for the very first time. And yes, she’s clearly a very big cat.
Unfortunately, we only have a couple of
angles to work with, all because of a very vigilant test driver who refused to
play nice for the camera. Right off the bat, and despite it being fully
famouflaged, we can sort of tell that this prototype is a Jaguar by the
apparent shape and placement of the taillights, as well as the elegant contours
of the body. Then there’s the flared first-gen XF-like shoulder line at the
rear, which let’s face it, is a dead giveaway.
Also, while we can’t be sure, it’s
possible that the door windows might be frameless – the Tesla Model S and Porsche
Taycan are the same way, not that the three would be direct rivals. Sure,
they’ll compete against each other as four-door electric family cars, but
size-wise the XJ should be more of a match for the upcoming Mercedes EQS.
The battery-powered XJ will sit on a new
MLA platform that’s said to be lighter than the outgoing architecture. This
will allow JLR to produce both hybrid and full-electric variants of the same
model using the same production line. According to reports, the all-new XJ
could feature four electric motors (one per wheel), a 90.2 kWh battery pack and
a driving range of up to 470 km. Production will kick off at JLR’s
Castle Bromwich factory in the UK, although it’s unclear right now if the XJ
will be unveiled later this year or sometime in 2021.
