New Jaguar GT prototype review: Porsche and Bentley rival shows its potential

Jon Darlington, JEA (Jaguar Electric Architecture) chief engineer, tells us the camouflaged late-stage prototype we’re driving is “100 per cent accurate for hardware, and around 70 per cent complete for software”, but that they’ve “still got tuning to do”.

With this in mind, JLR’s product character and performance manager – and our co-pilot for the day – Navid Shamshiri, reiterates that the GT we’re driving is fixed in its default comfort-oriented drive mode, with no opportunity to flick through to the proposed eco or dynamic settings this time around. It’s also on all-season tyres, though the standard-fit 23-inch wheels should give us a good sense of ride and refinement.

Setting off, we immediately appreciate the advantages of the Jag GT’s rear-wheel steering system. While the six degrees of angle on the back axle is nothing of note, Darlington tells us that the front wheels are capable of turning up to 43 degrees – more than any Jaguar to date. Together, they make the 5.2m-long electric car feel like a supermini.

Moving around at low speeds, the GT does a great job of isolating you from the outside world. Sure, JLR’s sanitised test track doesn’t offer the hustle and bustle of a major town or city, but nor is it silent and free of disturbance. The driving position, with the tall centre console and low-slung seats, ensures you feel cocooned – only emphasised by the lack of a back window and, for that matter, any kind of conventional rear-view mirror.