Leading the Lotus brand’s transformation from a UK sports car company to a global performance car business and brand is the new all-electric Lotus Eletre. Unveiled in March this year, Lotus has now confirmed the prices and specifications of its electric SUV for UK and the European market. With three variants to choose from, the Lotus Eletre’s price starts at £89,500 (approx. RM 484,668).
Lotus Eletre – £89,500 (approx. RM484,668).Lotus Eletre S – £104,500 (approx. RM 565,897)Lotus Eletre R – £120,000 (approx. RM 649,834)
L-R: Matt Windle (Lotus Cars Group Managing Director), Maximillian Szwaj (Lotus Technology Vice President), Peter Horbury (Executive Vice President, Design), Ben Payne (Lotus Technology Creative Centre Managing Director)
Both the Lotus Eletre and Lotus Eletre S are powered by a dual-motor electric drive system that makes 603 hp and 710 Nm, and gets a single-speed gearbox. Both versions accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds.
Claimed to be the world’s fastest dual-motor electric SUV is the range-topping Lotus Eletre R which also gets a dual motor system but with much more power at 905 hp and 985 Nm. It also gets a two-speed gearbox to fully utilise the electric motors. 0-100 km/h is done in 2.95 seconds. For reference, the BMW iX M60 does the century sprint in 3.8 seconds.
All versions of the Lotus Eletre house a 112-kWh battery that give a 600-km WLTP range for the Eletre and Eletre S. The Eletre R draws more power due to its higher performance and has a reported WLTP range of 490 km.
No specifics have been listed on the electric charging rates. However, Lotus does state that the 112-kWh battery takes 20 minutes to charge from 10% state-of-charge (SOC) to 80% with DC fast charging.
If the pictures have you guessing about the size of the new Lotus Eletre, we’ll have you know that it is marginally bigger than the BMW iX.
| Lotus Eletre | BMW iX | |
| Length | 5,103 mm | 4,953 mm |
| Width | 2,231 mm | 1,967 mm |
| Height | 1,630 mm | 1,695 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,019 mm | 3,000 mm |
In the UK the Eletre rides on 22-inch wheels as standard, though 20-inch and 23-inch are available. There are five different wheel designs and six colours of brake callipers. As for body colour choices, the Lotus Eletre currently has six different colours to choose from – Natron Red, Galloway Green, Stellar Black, Kaimu Grey, Blossom Grey and Solar Yellow. More will follow later.
There are also six unique interior options, with all of them offering premium high-grade materials and detail choices. Mounted on the centre of the dashboard is a 15.1-inch full High-Definition OLED centre screen.
This ‘intelligent cockpit’ infotainment system includes Apple CarPlay / Android Auto and a 1,380-watt, 15-speaker KEF Premium Audio system. All versions of the Eletre feature five seats as standard, with a four-seat version available as part of the Executive Seat Pack.
Standard on all versions of the Lotus Eletre are five driving modes, active air suspension, torque vectoring, matrix LED headlights, an active front grille, and 22-inch wheels. Also standard is a wirelss smartphone charging system, 12-way power-adjustable front seats, four-zone sutomatic climate control, and a deployable LIDAR technology which supports end-to-end autonomous driving technology.
Standard on the range-topping Lotus Eletre R is the Lotus Dynamic Handling Pack, Carbon Fibre Pack, gloss black wheels, stainless steel sports pedals, black badging and high-performance tyres. All Eletre customers have further opportunities to customise and personalise their car to their requirements using option packs.
Lotus Cars Group Vice-President and Managing Director, Matt Windle said, “Confirmation of the pricing and specs of the Lotus Eletre is a key moment in the transformation of Lotus through our Vision80 strategy. We know from media and customer feedback that they’re hugely excited by the arrival of this car – indeed, the Eletre has already won awards as 2023’s ‘most excited to see’ new model. Customer deliveries start during the first half of next year.”
On the launch of the Eletre, Matt Windle adds, “The launch of the Eletre is the natural next step for Lotus. Two-seater sports cars are not for everyone, and we want to offer a Lotus for every stage of your life. The Eletre is the start of that.”
GALLERY
Keyword: Lotus Eletre is world’s fastest dual-motor EV SUV – 905hp, 985Nm, 0-100km/h in 2.95s