Will 2025 be The Year of the Cat?

Okay, I'll admit it. I like what Jaguar have done. There I've said it.

The first teaser advert that came out, which didn't have a car in it at all, caused quite a stir. Traditionalists were horrified, many didn't like it and Jaguar had given everyone a free shot to ridicule them. So, a poor marketing strategy or was it? Everyone was talking about it. It caused a reaction. TV debates took place, radio phone-ins were hastily arranged so everyone could express their outrage about what Jaguar had done.

Here's the thing though, everyone was talking about it. Seasoned motoring journalists, in the main, wished Jaguar well and wanted them to succeed. The outrage had proved one thing: people still care about Jaguar, there is true love for the brand.

Following that came the preview pictures of the new car, a concept of Jaguar's new design principles and general direction. Once again, shockwaves of outrage about the design could be felt across the globe. Why? Because Jaguar had selected pink as one of the colours and some didn't like how it looked from the front.

The car itself gave nod to the E-Type which in my opinion is no bad thing at all and, as with all concept cars, you need to look for design clues. The final car may end up looking nothing like the concept.

This leads me to the conclusion that Jaguar may be playing a very shrewd hand. Everyone is talking about Jaguar. over months later. The brand still matters. Until the XJ arrived in the mid-noughties, Jaguar were always accused of looking back and being too "stuck in the past". Yet today, Jaguar are accused of being too "way out". I don't think they are though, there are a new set of potential Jaguar owners out there to attract. The XF and XE were very good and capable cars but BMW and Mercedes still outsold them. Jaguar it seems have repositioned itself to broaden its appeal to buyers. It has the heritage certainly and it is a brand that is loved. Maybe, just maybe, this strategy will convert all that in to sales and make Jaguar a motoring powerhouse again.