Jaguar is no stranger to innovation. Under the tenure of Ian McCallum, the company has reinvented practically its entire car lineup, and reinvented itself in the process. Production Jaguar cars have drawn attention, kudos, and naked envy, while its concept cars have become the stuff of dreams in between cameos on the silver screen. Against that background, the company has quietly been building a new initiative — think of it as a company-within-a-company — that puts the pedal to the metal in terms of increasing the pace of that innovation, and has the potential to see Jaguar branching in some exciting new directions.
The new venture is called InMotion. In its present form, it’s envisioned as equal parts incubator, accelerator and investor. Some ideas will be developed in-house, but the division will have the freedom to pursue outside collaborations, invest in promising startups, or spin off companies if an idea proves to be viable but not quite the right fit for the Jaguar brand.
Initial offerings are mostly speculative at this point, though Jaguar-Land Rover group strategy director Adrian Hallmark hinted that the early focus is on the development of “new apps and on-demand services” that will allow the company to improve customer experience while responding to demands and trends much faster than the two-to-four year turnaround that’s customary in the rest of the industry.
A possible preview of what InMotion might be up to came at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, when Jaguar showed a 2017 Jaguar F-PACE crossover upgraded with smart technology from Meridian and Intel that combined Jaguar automotive prowess with tech from the other two companies. It’s clear that Jaguar is looking ahead to the future, and that they’re interested in shaping it rather than acting as a mere spectator. To see the best of what they have to offer right now, visit the Jaguar of Peabody showroom at 247 Newbury St in Peabody, MA today.
