- First SUV from Lotus
- Deliveries to start in 2024
Lotus is finally here and is starting its innings in India with its opening batsman being the Eletre SUV. It was recently launched in the country at a starting price of Rs. 2.55 crore (ex-showroom). This SUV will be available in the Standard, S, and R trims and can offer a range of up to 600km on a single charge.
On the outside, the Eletre is very different from any other Lotus that’s ever gone on sale. The face gets boomerang-like LED DRLs, low-set headlamps, and a massive face with an imposing presence. The new black and white Lotus logo sits proudly in the middle of the face.
In profile, the Eletre takes cues from many of its European contemporaries with heavily flared wheel arches, large 21-inch wheels, and pop-out door handles with the charge port door on the left side. Plus, there is a little cut-out in the middle of the front wheel arch and that is a LIDAR sensor!
Falling in line with its contemporaries once again, the Eletre gets a massive light bar with the Lotus lettering sitting below it. There are also large air vents sitting on the edge of the body and a split rear aero element on the edge of the glass house.
Inside, you get a grey and black cabin with gold inserts in the centre console, doors, and the steering wheel. The party piece is a massive 20-inch portrait–style touchscreen infotainment system with 3D graphics and is the interface for almost all the functions of the car.
Meanwhile, the dashboard is symmetrical with digital displays on both sides which adds to the overall experience. However, it also indicates Lotus’ ambition to sell the car in both right-hand drive and left-hand drive markets.
Despite the floor being high, there’s a lot of room in the second row for two people to sit luxuriously. Given the car’s size, you get a massive boot with high loading lip and auto opening/closing function - accessible both on the boot door and inside the car.
This wouldn’t be Lotus if it didn’t boast of some kind of ridiculous number in terms of performance. In this case, it’s dual electric motors with a 112kWh battery pack producing 930bhp/1,000Nm with AWD. The 0-100kmph time stands at just 2.95 seconds, putting it in the league of ICE hypercars!
