Jaguar Land Rover’s next chief executive officer shook off criticism from US President Donald Trump, insisting the carmaker is in good shape with customers responding positively to the polarizing Jaguar rebrand.
Trump this week accused the storied British manufacturer of being in “absolute turmoil” after what he called its “woke” advertisement released last year. The video teaser featured bright colors and expressionless models dressed for the catwalk — but no vehicles. Jaguar also ditched its signature wild cat logo.
The automaker is sticking by the new look, said PB Balaji, chief financial officer of JLR parent Tata Motors Ltd., who is taking over as JLR’s CEO in November.
“We have put our plans together, the cars are being revealed, they’re getting exciting response from the customers on the ground,” Balaji said on a call with reporters Friday. “Therefore that’s what the strategy is.”
Asked about Trump’s remarks, Balaji said JLR’s performance in a struggling global car industry proves the company is on the right track. “You need to compare our numbers vis-à-vis how others are delivering,” he said.
His comments appear to reject Trump’s assertion that JLR’s outgoing CEO Adrian Mardell resigned over the rebrand.
Jaguar isn’t producing any cars until the new fully electric lineup is ready next year. It’s targeting younger consumers, having previously been known as a status symbol for middle-aged men in the UK.
The automaker, which revealed a concept car at the Miami Art Week last December, plans to sell fewer cars than in the past but at higher prices.
Still, Trump’s outburst underscored how Jaguar’s approach became a lightning rod. Its video drew fire from right-wing figures including Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage, who said it risked “going bust.” Even Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk asked whether Jaguar still sold cars given the lack of them in the video.
JLR has suffered from Trump’s trade tariffs, which have hit deliveries of its luxury sport vehicles in the US. That has weighed on Tata Motors’ profit, which slumped by two-thirds in its latest quarter, the Indian group said Friday.
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