This is the all-new Lotus Eletre, the first crossover SUV ever made by the British marque. In keeping with the Lotus tradition, performance for this swoopy new SUV is paramount as it demolishes 0-60 mph in a blistering 2.95 seconds and has a top speed of 161 mph, all with a range of 600 km or 372 miles of driving range.

Is the new Eletre a True Lotus?

Lotus is a brand that has lightweight and sportiness embodied at its very core. Tracing its history back 70 years, back to the early 50s, Lotus Engineering was set up with founder Colin Chapman at the helm.} Fast forward to today and the brand is ushering in a new era of the automobile, the next generation of Lotus cars will carry forward that very tradition.

Now, what better way to enter the new age of the automobile than to dwell on the learnings of developing five decades of making lightweight sports cars and racing cars. } Think Lotus 11, Type 72 with the iconic John Players Livery F1 car from the 70s, the Elan, Elise, and Esprit, that featured in a couple of James Bond films and Pretty Woman. The new age of course is represented by cars like the Evija and the Emira that were launched last summer.

The 2023 Lotus Eletre

The new 2023 Lotus Eletre is a significant model for the brand, as it is the British marque’s first-ever EV crossover SUV. It is not the brand’s first EV though, as that honor goes to the Evija Hypercar. The Eletre is the first of four other EVs that Lotus is currently working on.

The Eletre is built on Lotus’ new age Electric Premium Architecture (EPA). This platform is extremely versatile and can adapt various body styles from C+ to E+, different battery sizes, motors, layouts, etc. Over, according to Lotus, this low to the ground platform should offer great handling and will be the basis for all future lifestyle performance EVs from the brand.

Sporty Exterior Design

Let’s talk styling. Now I’ve said the before and I’ll say it again. I had to look twice to be sure that I’m not a Lamborghini Urus, which is no bad thing really.} So in a way, it looks familiar. But in my opinion, where the Urus is super aggressive, the Eletre is far more softer and in my opinion. Now I know design is very subjective, so I’m not going to dwell deeper. Having said that, there is a good use of carbon fiber and aluminum intelligent LED lights, a roof spoiler, and the 23-inch wheels that add to the visual drama.

Considering the Eletre is an all-new EV, it has no reason to conform to the challenges that a designer might encounter with a traditional ICE vehicle. The Lotus design team was hence able to create a new cab-forward design with a long wheelbase and short overhangs. The windscreen is quite steeply raked meeting the center of the wheels when viewed from the side. Speaking of wheels, they are positioned as far and as wide as possible. Not only does this enhance the proportions of the vehicle, but it also maximizes space for the occupants.

You can’t think about the Lotus brand, without thinking about Aerodynamics. They have been innovators and pioneers in space for decades and Lotus is now emphasizing that very aspect with ‘Porosity’, which is an aerodynamic principle of how air flows and behaves over, around, and under a car. As the Eletre is an EV, cutting through the air with the least amount of range will help offer the best possible range. The sculpted bodywork be it on the hood, the doors or the tailgate are actually functional elements and also help with the cooling of the battery pack.

Dimensions (mm)

Length

5,103

Width with Electric Reverse Mirror Displays

2,135

Width with door mirrors

2,231

Height

1,630

Wheelbase

3,019


Futuristic Interior

The interior on the Eletre definitely debuts the next generation of Lotus interior. To the Lotus faithful, space and practicality have always been one of the biggest gripes about a Lotus. Not anymore. I was already pretty impressed with the Emira’s thoughtful cabin and packaging last year, but the Eletre’s interior is truly groundbreaking, especially for a Lotus.

One look at the cabin and you cant get away from the fact that this interior looks extremely futuristic, in all honesty, very concept car-like. The driver-focused dashboard is dominated by screens, not one, but three of them. The Aston-Esque squarish steering sure does look sporty, and the 12 o’clock marking speaks about the Eletre sporty credentials and intent.

The year being 2022, Sustainability was a big part of the design process and the ultra-premium materials used throughout the interior sure do resonate with that view. Be it the man-made microfibres or the advance wool-blend fabrics on the seats. The use of carbon fiber lends a sporty touch to the cabin.

This particular car showcased here features four seats, but a more traditional five-seat layout can be configured as well. The fixed glass roof lends in enough light and lends an airy feel. There are thoughtful touches and practical storage spaces throughout the Eletre’s cabin, be it cup holders, bottle holders, or wireless charging pads, you’ve got all the basics covered and then some.

Technology

Remember I said the dash was dominated by screens? The one that takes center stage is a 15.1-inch OLED panel and is the main way in which you interact with the 1380 watt 15 speaker KEF audio system. You’ve also got a sleek 30mm high panel, for the front passenger, similar to what we’ve seen on a few Ferraris before. The driver information display though comes with the usual gubbins almost but crucially, the head-up display with augmented reality is part of standard equipment.

Intelligent lighting interacts with occupants by highlighting different colors depending on changes made to the climate control system, making and receiving calls, and even the charge status of the Eletre.

Powertrain

Developed on a new 800v architecture dedicated to EVs, high tensile strength steel and aluminum offer optimum rigidity. This will offer blisteringly fast charging in just 18 minutes. In order to ensure that the center of gravity remains low to aid with the dynamics, you’ve got a flat skateboard-style 100kWh+ battery pack, which should help the weight to be concentrated at the center.

Power and performance

Power (hp)

from 600

Battery (kWh)

100+

Top speed (km/h / mph)

c. 260 / 161

0-100km/h (secs)

Less than 3.0

Max range WLTP (km / miles)

c. 600 / 373


This battery pack will offer an estimated 372 miles of 600-kilo meters on a single charge. Another space and weight-saving measure was the integration of a controller and reducer into each of the two electric motors, which have a combined output of 600 horsepower. 0-60 mph in just 2.95 seconds and a top speed of 161 mph.

Lotus has thrown in in the kitchen sink as far as top drawer hardware with respect to ride and handling is concerned. Air suspension with, ride height and damping control, torque vectoring and rear-axle steering will ensure that the Eletre rides and corners like a proper Lotus should.

You’ve got four drive modes to choose from across the range

- Tour

- Sport

- Off-Road

- Individual

Driver Assistance & Safety

Part of ADAS or advanced driver assistance systems, one of the highlights of the Eletre is its use of deployable LIDAR system and cameras that support intelligent driving technologies including end-to-end autonomous driving. These systems can be updated with time using Over air or OTA updates in order to comply with changing rules and relations over time. It will also enable customers to purchase new features, all from the comfort of their app. The Eletre ditches traditional rearview mirrors for the camera, similar to what we saw with the original 2018 Audi e-Tron.

The safety features include

- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

- Collision Mitigation Support Front (CMSF)

- Traffic Sign Information (TSI)

- Door Open Warning (DOW)

- Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)

- Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA)

- Lane Change Assist (LCA)

- Children Presence Detection (CPD)

- Lane Keep Aid with Lane Departure Warning / Prevention (LKA+)

- Parking Emergency Brake (PEB)

- Collision Mitigation Support Rear (CMSR)

- Emergency Rescue Call (E-Call).

Conclusion

The Eletre according to Lotus is a product that is ‘Born British Raised Globally’. The Lotus team in Hethel, England coordinated with teams around the world in Germany, Sweden, and China. A mass-market vehicle should appeal to a wide audience and Lotus surely does want to capitalize on not just the current craze for SUVs, but it is also future-proofing its way with EVs.

The Lotus Eletre will take on the likes of cars like the upcoming Porsche Macan EV, Maserati Grecale Folgore, the Tesla Model X,, and the BMW iX. Pricing will be the defining factor in driving sales as Lotus has always been about affordable performance cars, get that right and Lotus surely does have a winner on their hands. Expect it to start from around $100,000 when it hits U.S. shores sometime in 2024. The Eletre will go on sale in Britain, Europe, and China by 2023.