Lotus just took the wraps off its first-ever crossover SUV, the Eletre and it's not just an EV, but it also happens to be the world's first-ever hyper-SUV. Now, if at first glance you thought this looked an awful lot like Lamborghini Urus, well, you're not alone.

While there will be many future comparisons between this Hyper-SUV and other super-SUVs over time, here's a proper side-by-side comparison of the Lotus Eletre and the Lamborghini Urus purely based on their exterior designs.

Front View

ids=1067853,1067854

no_overlay=false

before_label=Lotus Eletre

after_label=Lamborghini Urus>


Let's start up front. Viewing both cars head-on the similarities are so much more apparent, and this is especially true in yellow, which has, let's be honest here, been a Lambo color forever. I've always felt that the Urus was far too aggressive, but hey, it's a Lambo, and it ought to be. As the Eletre is an EV, the gaping mouth upfront is used not just channelize the air, but also to cool the batteries. Another notable difference is the way the headlights have been arranged.

On the Urus, you have a single unit with its integrated DRL, while on the

Eletre, the main headlight unit hides deep within the front bumper, under the boomerang-shaped LED unit up top. They're quite smart in that they perform a little dance, similar to what we've seen on a few modern Audis. Another Audi trait on the Eletre is its use of a camera in place of a traditional wing mirror, similar to the original Audi e-Tron SUV.} The camera is part of the Eletre's LIDAR system, with sensors neatly concealed within the fenders and that blacked-out roof.

Side View

ids=1067848,1067849

no_overlay=false

before_label=Lotus Eletre

after_label=Lamborghini Urus>


As you can see from the numbers, both SUVs are close as far as the overall length and wheelbase are concerned. That bulbous hood on the Lambo I spoke of, well that becomes ever more apparent when viewed from this angle. The Eletre's hood is far more flatter. Lotus also spoke about the Eletre's cab-forward design and you can clearly see that by the way, the bottom of the windscreen meets the front wheels. The silhouette on the Lotus starts off smoother and its length is accentuated even more than that rear split spoiler. On the Urus meanwhile, the profile takes a steeper angle before following a similar coupe-like form.

Lotus also mentioned the term 'porosity' in the Eletre presentation, which relates to the way the air behaves above, below, and around the vehicle, and nowhere is that more clearly defined than on the front door of the Eletre. That way, the sheet metal has been scooped out to channel air clearly showing off how serious the Lotus is about Aero. The wheel arches and rear haunches on the Urus are far more angular when compared to the Eletre's. Wheels? Well, they're 23 inches on both SUVs and I'm not complaining.

Rear View

ids=1067859,1067860

no_overlay=false

before_label=Lotus Eletre

after_label=Lamborghini Urus>


Finally, onto the rear, and this is where perhaps, the two SUVs are miles apart and the Lotus really does have its own unique thing going on. The most obvious difference between the two SUVs here is the absence of proper pipes, cans whatever you want to call them on the Eletre. It is an EV, after all. You'll also notice that while the Urus has the full-length spoiler, the Eletre has a split spoiler set up, which is barely visible as it blends in with the rest of the black roof.

The Urus has your Y-shaped LED rear lights while the Eletre features a lightbar that pretty much runs the entire width of the vehicle, which should probably remind you of the derriere of the current-gen Porsche 911. Speaking of that lightbar, I love the way the lightbar integrates with all the sculpted bodywork derived out of the need to provide better aero. This is straight out of the Evija hypercar and is definitely a highlight design feature of Eletre.}

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it, a detailed breakdown of how the two cars compare as far as their exterior design is concerned. So, which is the better looking of the two? Well, commenting on design can be very subjective. But for me, I think the design on the Eletre certainly works. It somehow manages to strike the right balance between being sporty and futuristic, yet elegant at the same time and now that's a tough act to pull off. When I first saw it, I thought is that the next gen-Urus? Which is no bad thing really. The Eletre comes off as familiar, yet different to me.

On another note, the Eletre now faces the same ordeal that the Lambo had about five years ago. While the Urus did have the performance numbers on its side, people asked if it was indeed a true Lambo. Now, folks out in the wild are asking if the Eletre is a true Lotus? Well, time will tell. 600 horsepower isn't too bad is it now for a family SUV.

But, just step back for a second and see just how immensely successful the Urus has been for Lamborghini. It was basically an amalgamation of stuff from the VW Group's parts bin in the body of a jacked-up Lambo. You see, like it or not, cars like these need to exist because they provide the cash to enable automakers to churn out the good stuff that you and I love - sports cars.

On that, I do hope that Eletre is a smashing hit, so that Lotus will continue to give us some darn good track weapons. As for Lambo, now that the Eletre is out, the next Urus will have to be revolutionary and I know a few hybrids are in the works at Sant'Agata Bolognese with EVs to follow suit sometime before the end of the decade.