Jaguar has revealed the interior of the Type 01 electric GT, today. While we might have hoped for more than the four images that have been dropped, these do show a little bit about how extraordinary the Jaguar Type 01's interior is.
And I know that it’s extraordinary, because I was lucky enough to sit in it at a secret event earlier this year. The images released today don’t do it justice, to be honest.
For a start, they don’t quite show how low you sit to the floor – which is impressive for an EV with a mattress of battery cells beneath the floor. But you do sit low, which means that you feel comfortable despite the low, almost hot-rod like roofline.
As you can see, the dash is pretty radical. For a start, the rear view mirror is by camera only (there’s no rear window), but the camera is a slim, letterbox shape and sits in the centre of the dash at the base of the windscreen. So you'll need to get used to glancing low on the dash rather than up, where a traditional mirror would be.
The dash architecture features strong, horizontal lines that echo the minimalist vibes that we saw in the Jaguar concept when it was revealed. That whole ‘less is more’ design attitude definitely pays off in the interior of the Jaguar Type 01.
Refreshingly, the electric Jag doesn’t feel dominated by screens, as many of its rivals do. Instead, Jag has integrated a portrait touchscreen at the head of a high, central spine that runs the length of the interior. A frameless, curved screen behind the steering wheel also becomes a focal point, but I really love how the screens feel like they’ve been artfully integrated into the whole design – not just tacked on like an afterthought, and not dominating the whole interior.
I haven’t used the new Jag's infotainment system, by the way – it wasn’t working on the prototype I spent a few mins poking around in, so you’ll have to wait and find out what that’s like.
Can we talk about the materials? I mean, there are no prices confirmed, but we're expecting the Jag Type 01 to start from around £100,000 when it goes on sale. But sitting in it, it feels like it could justify a much bigger price than that.
According to Jaguar, the interior materials are “influenced by the enduring beauty of travertine stone and the rich textures of artisan textiles, Type 01 is a deeply sensorial experience.” Which sounds like a lot of marketing puff, but when you sit in it, you really do feel like you’re sat in a five star hotel. I had a terribly embarrassing urge to stroke bits of the cabin, such was the gorgeous look and texture of the materials – and you actually do get that sense of stone and heavy materials that the designers talk about.
