Twenty-five hundred kilograms, that’s how much the Lotus Eletre weighs. As if Lotus founder Chapman’s motto has been reversed: simplify, then add weight. To throw some salt in the wound: the Lotus Eletre is being built in Wuhan …
Before 2020, you probably never heard of Wuhan. But then the Chinese city of millions became the epicenter of the corona pandemic. The rest is history. Wuhan is miles away from Britain, the country every car comes from Lotus came from until now.
Of Lotus Eletre is the first Lotus SUV and the first Lotus with a folding rear seat and a towing weight (2250 kilograms). It is a big boy: 5.10 meters long and 2.23 meters wide, including the exterior mirrors. If you prefer to appear 10 cm less wide, you can opt for the optional digital mirrors. They are also on our test sample, but we just can’t get used to them. We always look at the camera itself instead of the displays on both sides of the dashboard. As a result, we almost miss a truck when merging onto the highway.
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Lotus Eletre competitors
The height of the Lotus Eletre is equal to that of the
Audi Q8 E-tron (1.63 meters). Other competitors are the Porsche Cayenne and the Range Rover. In order not to further increase the weight of 2500 kilos, Lotus has partly made the body of aluminum. The Lotus Eletre stands on its own platform and does not share it with models from group members Polestar of Volvo.
Steering rear wheels
For a large and heavy SUV, this Lotus Eletre drives remarkably light-footed. Of course, as playful as a Lotus Elan – the 1960s sports car where the Mazda MX-5 is inspired by – it will not be. But you can position the electric SUV well and it steers immediately. Thanks to the adaptive chassis with air suspension and the variable four-wheel drive including torque vectoring, the Eletre emotionally loses a few excess kilos. The top version is also equipped with steering rear wheels.
Beautiful interior
You notice in the back seat that the Lotus Eletre is a large SUV. The shoulder, leg and headroom are generous. At an additional cost, Lotus replaces the rear seat with two sports seats with a center armrest, including a 9-inch touchscreen. The interior is beautiful. Beautiful leather and sporty Alcantara alternate and everything is exemplary. The backrest seems sturdy at first, but you get used to it over time.
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Lotus Eletre test conclusion
The Lotus Eletre is large, heavy and luxurious. Properties that Lotus founder Colin Chapman abhorred. On the other hand: the brand cannot only exist of the Emira. The quintessential British engineers we spoke to at the launch are so involved in the resurrection of their brand that we were swept up in their enthusiasm and give the Eletre the benefit of the doubt. But we also do that because the electric SUV simply drives well.
You can find the complete test of the Lotus Eletre in Auto Review 08/2023.