Real reason for car giant’s ‘woke’ nightmare

Jaguar’s dramatic slump has raised serious questions about its future as the famous brand is accused of fighting a ‘culture war’. So what’s the real story?

If you’ve looked at any Jaguar headlines right now, they would all tell you the same thing: “Catastrophic sales result following the brand’s ‘botched’, woke’ rebrand.”

However, these obnoxious headlines overlook a vital aspect of the situation.

Jaguar intentionally halted production at the end of 2024, a move that extended into early 2025 in some European regions, as part of a planned transition to become an EV-only brand.

Jaguar's bold rebrand. Picture: YouTube/@Jaguar

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It is true that Jaguar sales in Europe plunged 97.5 per cent according to the latest sales data by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.

The British luxury carmaker registered just 49 vehicles in Europe in April, compared with 1,961 cars in the same month last year.

Sales between January and April plummeted 75.1 per cent, with just 2,665 cars sold across the European continent. May wasn’t much better, showing a 93.6 per cent drop. Overall, sales have declined 77.8 per cent year to date compared to 2024.

These numbers aren’t faltering in the slightest, and frankly, Jaguar would likely prefer to be further along in its EV transition process.

However, key details surrounding the brand’s strategy to move all of its inventory to EVs are the missing puzzle pieces to many of these very misleading stories.

The company has delayed the release of its flagship model, a four-door GT.

The EV, expected to cost around $US200,000, won’t be available until late 2025, according to The New York Post.

2024 Jaguar Type 00 concept. Picture: Supplied

And stopping the production of the entire petrol and diesel Jaguar line-up while the company rebranded and developed its future EV flagship was all along the plan.

Was it the best plan? Probably not, but at least it’s not as if this sales drop occurred while Jaguar continued to produce cars.

All of this is simply to say, don’t read too much into low sales figures for Jaguar just yet.

Currently, the brand’s strategy appears to be a deliberate pause for a reset, rather than an indication of failure.

MORE: Jaguar GT Concept shocks online

Jaguar's new compact E-Pace SUV.

Jaguar F-TYPE V6 Convertible. Source: Supplied

The real test will come when Jaguar re-enters the market with a higher price point and a fully electric line-up. If it can win buyers over, it could mark a remarkable return for one of the industry’s most iconic names.

Originally published as Real reason for car giant’s ‘woke’ nightmare