Opinion Dear Jaguar, now that you have picked the ‘inclusive’ lane, stick to it

But sales are withering, and the old regulars are dying off. One day, after months of renovations, the place reopens. It’s in the same location, has the same name. But it’s unrecognisable: A cocktail bar with snazzy lighting and Instagram-worthy nooks. Gone are the Sunday roast, shepherd’s pie and fish & chips. There’s global cuisine now, all of it made from locally sourced ingredients. And a separate vegan menu. The joint wants to be more inclusive, and there are pride flags on the storefront windows. They’re angling for a whole new clientele, one who would never consider stopping by here earlier.

Will the gambit work?

Jaguar has had an eventful corporate history. From making the most beautiful post-war car (The E-Type), to being absorbed, nationalised, spun off and cast away, it has endured apathy, neglect and borderline abuse. (Looking at you now, Ford). The 2008 Tata Motors acquisition was promising, but even here Jaguar was quickly overshadowed by its more successful SUV cousin, Land Rover. This wasn’t Tata’s fault, just a sign of the times: The market wanted big SUVs, not low super saloons or little sports cars.

It wasn’t all gloom and doom, though. There was a promising design revival led by Ian Callum, and sales peaked in 2018 at 1,80,000 units. Jaguar beat most competitors to launch the first mainstream conceived-electric luxury car: the I-Pace. It even won the 2019 World Car of the Year award. So naturally, Jaguar let it wither on the vine. No updates, no support and massive component shortages (pre-Covid!).

In the past, patrons put up with Jaguar’s notorious reliability for its image — the cheeky, broke heir whose charm always lets him get away with being a cad. You’d be forgiving too, if you saw one of these beauties in British racing green on the showroom floor. And the roar from the engine would dispel any doubts that remained.

In 2021, after years of losses, Jaguar announced plans to go all electric in four years. The plug was pulled on the next generation of its flagship: The XJ. All IC engine development was suspended. This was probably for the best. The old, fire-breathing supercharged V6s and V8s had given way to the anaemic Ingenium family of engines. Jaguar had devolved from Bentley-lite to a shoddy Audi-BMW-Merc clone.

Maybe going electric could save it. But electric cars have an inherent problem: They lack soul. Designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, all EVs start to look alike — ungainly blobs with ugly wheels. The weight of the batteries makes sharp handling near-impossible. Only Porsche has come close to cracking that puzzle. And no engine means no roar. What does a silent Jag even stand for?

In this context, Jaguar’s controversial rebrand makes sense. Like our pub, it can no longer survive on its dwindling erstwhile patrons. It has missed the starting gun on luxury or tech as a differentiator. It cannot beat the Chinese on cost. And so, like any good luxury brand, it has decided to embrace image as identity. Jaguar will be an inclusive, fashion-forward, planet-positive marque. It will be aspirational, and speak to a far younger audience, embracing individuality and acceptance.

It is fascinating that, until recently, this position was occupied by Tesla. With Elon Musk’s recent rightward drift, a space has opened up exactly where Jaguar is positioning itself. This is entirely unintentional, as Jaguar’s language and tagline were decided quite a while back, pre-dating Musk’s ideological fluidity. For once, Jaguar has lucked out.

It isn’t going to be an easy path though. The liberal community is accepting, inclusive and trusting, to the point of naivete. It has endured years of poorly designed and shoddily built Teslas. It does not, however, like being patronised. If there is even a whiff of the performative, Jaguar will be cancelled immediately. And since it has abandoned its old identity, there’s no going back there either.

Here’s the bottom line, Jaguar: The colourful ads with dated images and iffy logo changes aren’t going to suffice. Do not treat this as a quick photo-op at your local Pride Parade. Be an actual ally. Since you’ve chosen your lane, stick to it now. Embrace these values even if it means giving up large chunks of your old demographic. Above all, learn to listen. Surely, you know what it feels like to not be heard in your own home.

The writer is a Bangalore-based entrepreneur who also writes about business, finance and startups