The new Jaguar has begun in earnest with the launch of a new logo and branding, accompanied by a launch video that looks like something created during a task on The Apprentice where the product is so far removed from what it’s trying to show that you wonder what’s being advertised in the first place. Cars, maybe.

It’s a rare day indeed when Elon Musk speaks for most of us, but his retort of “do you sell cars?” to the video posted on his X platform summarised what many were thinking (even if Musk might have had his own reasons for highlighting it).

Yet delve into the other comments about the video and the issue with rebooting a brand with very different positioning while it still exists in its current state is laid bare.

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For all the witty retorts from the social media team back to Musk (“meet us for a cuppa”) or to others asking where the cars are in all this (“we’re setting the stage”, “soon you’ll see things our way”, “think of this as a declaration of intent”), you don’t have to get too far into the comments before the question Elon asked is answered: Jaguar does sell cars still, it has current owners with cars that are still very new, and while the company might want to ignore its present in the way it’s trying to position itself publicly, Jaguar still means and is something very different in the wider public consciousness.

And it’s a company that has not had a good time of it in recent years because JLR has been besieged by quality issues and an ongoing parts supply.

 

 

One reply to Jaguar’s video read: “2 year old F Type, just back from its third warranty repair, and returned with a large scratch on the door and damage to the side skirt. They need to improve build quality and dealer / service network before I’d consider buying another one."

Jaguar's reply: “Hi please let me know if we can be of any assistance. If you send us a private message with your VIN, email address, telephone number and local retailer, we'll look into this for you. Thanks.”

“What’s happening to your parts. My car has been in a JLR dealer for 3 months and still no sign of part. I have a 5 year old jag that I have been unable to drive for 4 months. The repair should have taken a day to fix.” Ouch.