More than a few eyebrows were raised when Lotus announced it would build an SUV. Was this what visionary founder Colin Chapman had in mind when he contemplated the future of the iconic British sports car builder? We like to think that he may well have looked at the Range Rover, over a decade old by the time he died, and imagined some kind of Lotus variant.
More than a few eyebrows were raised when Lotus announced it would build an SUV. Was this what visionary founder Colin Chapman had in mind when he contemplated the future of the iconic British sports car builder? We like to think that he may well have looked at the Range Rover, over a decade old by the time he died, and imagined some kind of Lotus variant.
Now Lotus has announced with considerable fanfare that its Eletre is headed for production quite soon. Expectedly, the Eletre uses all-electric power and offers an intriguing Lotus take on what a sports-oriented luxury SUV should be. Of course, Lotus is simply following in the tire tracks of many other luxury sports car builders.
When Porsche, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Audi and BMW enter the utility field, it’s time to take notice. And it’s worth considering that several of those exalted makers have been saved from obscurity by SUV products.
Lotus is heralding its new product as ‘The world’s first electric hyper-SUV’ but only time will tell if a new class has been created. It certainly has some Lotus DNA and doesn’t look much like the kind of luxury sports-focused SUV we’ve been used to. It’s very sleek with a low-profile roofline and a ground-hugging stance. Some key attributes of SUVs have likely been sacrificed but people who buy vehicles like this are unlikely to be troubled by that. Like many rivals, the Eletre’s stamping ground is more likely to be upscale city locales than rugged mountain trails. Surprisingly, the Eletre will be built in China.
There will be three versions of the Eletre, deliveries of which are scheduled to begin some time later this year. Buyers will be able to choose either an Eletre, an Eletre S or a line-topping Eletre R. The Eletre and the Eletre S use two electric motors with a combined output of 603-horsepower. The twin-motor R model boasts a massive 906-horsepower, an output that not long ago you could only approach by buying a Bugatti with a 16-cylinder, quad turbo petrol engine. Clearly, electric motors are starting to show their amazing performance potential.
According to Lotus, it has “taken the heart and soul” of the Emira sports car and the impressive aerodynamic performance of the Evija EV hypercar to create the Eletre. If these qualities are effectively transferred to the Eletre, it promises to be a truly remarkable vehicle. Commendably, Lotus has managed to keep prices within bounds and certainly production in China will have helped there. This is very much a global product with input from the UK, Germany and China. As Lotus points out: “Born British, raised globally.”
From a practical standpoint, the Eletre has great promise. A rapid-charging time to 80 per cent charge of just 20-minutes is targeted along with a range of 600-km for the two base models and 490 for the R variant. Lotus has been testing the Eletre extensively at the famed Nürburgring track in Germany and reports that performance targets are being met.
The cabin of the Eletre was designed to be bright and spacious and Lotus used a wide range of high quality materials to create a luxury ambiance. Customers can opt for either four individual seats or the usual five you get in a midsized SUV/crossover. The instrument array was inspired by Lotus sports cars and a lot of time was spent looking for ways to save weight, very much a tradition for the company. Electric vehicles are especially difficult products for lightness-seeking designers to work with, mainly because of battery pack weight. There are fullsize SUVs and pickups out there with battery packs that weigh as much as small petrol-powered commuter hatchbacks.
The Eletre may be sports car-oriented but it boasts every convenience and comfort feature you’d expect in any SUV model. Nothing is missing on the spec sheet and as an added treat, the sound system was supplied by British brand KEF, a name very familiar to audiophiles.
Lotus claims thousands of customers around the world have laid down deposits for an Eletre and it certainly looks like an exciting prospect. The main problem Lotus marketers will face is the fact that the high-end SUV/crossover segment is getting very crowded and not all the entrants are going to prosper.
ENGINE Two electric motors, 450 kW or 675 kW.
TRANSMISSION Direct drive.
ACCELERATION Zero to 100 km/h in 2.95 secs (Eletre R).
TOP SPEED 265-km/h (Eletre R).
I LIKED Very competitive price for an iconic name electric SUV. Great looks with lots of Lotus design cues. Outstanding all-round performance targets.
I DIDN’T LIKE It’s a pity the Eletre couldn’t be built at Hethel in the UK where the company was founded, but today’s economic climate has no place for nostalgia.
MARKET ALTERNATIVES Jaguar I-PACE, BMW iX, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, Tesla Model X, Audi e-tron S.
WHO DRIVES ONE? Existing Lotus sports car owners will be first in line for this one and there are enough of them to swallow as many as Lotus can produce.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY Starting at €95.990. Delivery late 2023.