It’s no secret that Jaguar is working on the next-generation XJ. We’ve seen a few prototypes testing on public roads but these were all heavily disguised cars that didn’t really reveal much of the car’s design. It turns out the designers of the British company want to go big with the new luxury saloon.

In a comprehensive interview with MotorTrend, going through many Jaguar design questions, chief designer Julian Thomson, who replaced Ian Callum in July last year, disclosed that the new XJ will be something special. Interestingly, both the former and current lead designers in Jaguar put their hands on the new flagship saloon from Coventry.

Gallery: Jaguar XJ Electric saloon spy shots

"It's a stunning car, it really is, and we're all very, very pleased with it," Thomson told the publication. "It's a very significant product. XJ was really, really significant when it was launched in the '70s, and that car really rewrote the book on luxury executive cars, as they were then, and I think this one really does question the values of what F-segment luxury saloons are about. It's a very different product, but a very refreshing product, in that way. It's not a traditional business saloon."

Indeed, from what we were able to see in the first spy photos, the new XJ appears to have a liftback form, rather than a conventional saloon shape. This, combined with design cues that will influence future Jaguar models, should create a modern and sleek saloon.

At first, the British company will introduce the model with an all-electric powertrain and it is believed the big cat will feature as many as four electric motors and a range of 292 miles (470 kilometres) between two charges. Riding on the Jag's Modular Longitudinal Architecture platform, the XJ will eventually get electrified 3.0-litre engines, too.

Gallery: Jaguar XJ EV spy shots