By ROB HULL, MOTORING EDITOR
Jaguar has moved to quash rumours it is considering a U-turn on its all-electric reboot by releasing images of its new battery-powered £140,000 luxury four-door GT undergoing winter testing ahead of its summer unveiling.
Reports emerged last month that bosses had instructed engineers in Britain to develop a hybrid drivetrain over growing concerns potential customers with range anxiety might not want its new breed of EVs.
But having since rubbished the speculation, the British brand - now owned by Indian giant Tata Motors - has leaked a selection of images and footage of its first 'new Jaguar' taking to the ice in Sweden months before it's due to be revealed fully.
A selection of Jaguar's 150 electric prototypes have been pictured gliding over the snow and ice close to the Arctic Circle as part of its 'extreme winter tests' conducted in temperatures as low as minus 40°C.
Jaguar says the aim of the assessments is to 'push every system to its limits to deliver the most technically advanced and powerful Jaguar production car ever made'.
Rawdon Glover, Jaguar's managing director, added: 'Our aim from the outset has been to deliver a true Jaguar driving experience and we have crafted a hugely desirable car that will be as captivating to drive as it is to look at.'
Jaguar's £140k four-door luxury GT car - the model that will spearhead the brand's electric-only reboot - has been spotted testing close to the Arctic Circle just months before it is due to be unveiled and available for order
The Porsche Taycan-rivalling electric grand tourer has been shown sliding over the frozen lakes of Arjeplog in Sweden - a popular location for car makers wanting to put their vehicles to the ultimate test before rolling them out into showrooms.
Jaguar is using the glacial conditions to validate its 'ThermAssist' technology that will feature in all its forthcoming electric cars.
This is an onboard thermal management system that claims to reduce heating energy consumption by up to 40 per cent, and aims to recover heat to warm the battery or cabin when ambient temperatures plummet as low as minus 10°C.
The system should reduce the debilitating impact of freezing conditions on the car's range.
According to Auto Express, the four-door GT uses an 850-volt electrical system comprising of a 120kWh battery pack within the floor.
This will deliver a 435 miles, based on official measurements, which is 46 miles more than the most powerful Porsche Taycan Turbo delivers under the mandated WLTP cycle.
The powerful electric architecture also means charging at speeds up to 350kW will be possible, which means adding around 200 miles of charge from a 15-minute session.
Yet, Jaguar says the aim of the Arctic Circle test is not just to ensure the car's batteries, charging systems and electric motors endure brutally chilly temperatures.
A selection of Jaguar's 150 electric prototypes have been pictured gliding over the snow and ice as part of its 'extreme winter tests' conducted in temperatures as low as minus 40°C
Travelling close to the Arctic Circle, Jaguar engineers are hoping to ensure the car's batteries, charging systems and electric motors can endure brutally chilly temperatures and continue to operate as they should
The Porsche Taycan-rivalling electric grand tourer has been shown sliding over the frozen lakes of Arjeplog in Sweden, which is just south of the Arctic Circle
This has become an increasingly popular location for car makers wanting to put their prototype vehicles to the ultimate test before rolling them out into showrooms
It too provides its engineers the ideal grounds to 'refine the distinct characteristics of the four-door GT’s drive modes' to ensure it delivers 'instinctive responses and calming comfort'.
It added: 'It will drive like no other electric car thanks to a suite of electric propulsion technologies. True to the spirit of Jaguar.'
In December, the Daily Mail and This is Money was granted exclusive access to the all-new electric Jag during a behind-closed-doors preview at its Gaydon facility.
It was revealed to us that the GT will develop more than 1,000 horsepower, easily making it the most potent Jaguar road car ever made.
We also learned that it will deploy advanced all-wheel-drive technology.
This sees the combination of a tri-motor setup and Intelligent Torque Vectoring to ensure the car's electronic brain knows when and where to put the power to guarantee an engaging - and safe - drive.
The galacial conditions are also being used to help Jag's engineers 'refine the distinct characteristics of the four-door GT’s drive modes' to ensure it delivers 'instinctive responses and calming comfort'
The brand said: 'It [the four-door GT] will drive like no other electric car thanks to a suite of electric propulsion technologies' and will be 'true to the spirit of Jaguar'
In December, the Daily Mail and This is Money was granted exclusive access to the all-new electric Jag during a behind-closed-doors preview at its Gaydon facility. It was revealed to us that the GT will develop more than 1,000 horsepower
Price: from £120,000-£140,000
Unveiling: Summer 2026
First UK deliveries: Early 2027
DIMENSIONS
Length: 5.2 metres
Width: 2 metres (approx)
Height: 1.6 metres
Weight: 2,700kg (approx)
Wheels: up to 23 inches
PERFORMANCE
Electric architecture: 850V
Battery: 120kWh battery
Electric motors: 3x e-motors (2 rear, 1 front)
Transmission: Single-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Max power: Over 1,000bhp
Acceleration (0-62mph): Under 3.5 secs
Top speed: TBC
Range: Over 435 miles
Charging capacity: Up to 350kW
Charging speed: 15 mins to add 200 miles of range
The team developing the vehicle also showed us in a short passenger ride the abilities of its all-wheel steering.
We also had first-hand experience of its impressive ride comfort, despite the battery-laden Jaguar likely tipping the scale at more than 2.5 tonnes and the test mule running on 23-inch wheels and stiff winter tyres.
Its plush ride is thanks to a finely-honed dynamic air suspension setup with active twin-valve dampers keeping the hulking four-door EV flat and composed no matter how pothole-riddled the road.
Matt Becker, Jaguar's vehicle engineering director who was poached from Aston Martin to tune the yet-named four-door GT, said: 'Jaguar has always been about driving pleasure and our new electric four-door GT will be no different.
'It marks a step-change in our technical ambitions.
'Innovative in-house electric propulsion technologies combine with the car’s unique proportions and low centre of gravity for a luxurious grand tourer that drives like nothing else.
'Like a true Jaguar, it can be comfortable when you wish, is engaging to drive and, with more than 1,000PS, always has power in reserve.'
The new images and footage come just a week after The Sunday Times reported that sources within JLR (formerly Jaguar Land Rover) had leaked that bosses have ordered engineers in the UK to develop a new petrol-electric hybrid engine to offer as an alternative option to customers.
The leaked images come a week after The Sunday Times reported that sources within JLR had informed the newspaper that bosses within Jaguar had ordered engineers in the UK to develop a new petrol-electric hybrid engine to offer as an alternative option to customers
Jaguar has denied rumours that it is developing a range extender hybrid drivetrain, in what would be a major U-turn on its 2021 promise to become an exclusively-electric car firm
And a spokesperson from Jaguar told us last week: 'Our plans to reinvent Jaguar as an electric-only automotive brand are unchanged'
The all-electric four-door GT is expected to be unveiled in the summer. Pricing will be in the region of £120,000 to £140,000 and first UK deliveries are scheduled for early 2027
The 'secret initiative' was claimed to be part of an effort to 'soothe drivers' concerns' about range anxiety amid a slowdown in EV demand across several major markets, which has already triggered a number of manufacturers to delay their own plans to go all in on battery-powered cars.
When the Daily Mail and This is Money sat down with Rawdon Glover in December and asked if the company might reconsider its EV-only plans, he told us then: 'We remain 100 per cent committed to a pure-electric future'.
And a spokesperson from Jaguar reiterated this statement to us a week ago to rubbish the claims of a U-turn, stating: 'Our plans to reinvent Jaguar as an electric-only automotive brand are unchanged.'
The all-electric four-door GT is expected to be unveiled in the summer. Pricing will be in the region of £120,000 to £140,000 and first UK deliveries are scheduled for early 2027.