PLYMOUTH, MI – Remember the shock and rending of garments when Porsche introduced the Cayenne SUV? The first BMW X5 SUV? After all, how could these sporty brands dial in their performance-driving character into SUVs? The Ford Mustang Mach-E still has true pony fans spitting on its tires as they pass it in parking lots.
Into the SUV/CUV pool enters Lotus, which was even late to the game going beyond its 2-seater roadsters. The Eletre CUV, due in the U.S. for deliveries in 2024, is entering the fray of an auto industry gradually transitioning from internal-combustion engines to battery power.
There are three trims of the Eletre: the base Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R. We drive the top-of-the-line Eletre R, powered by a 675-kw battery pack, generating a track-worthy and police-magnet output of 900 hp and 726 lb.-ft. (984 Nm) of torque that will get you from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 2.1 seconds, according to the company. We don’t get a chance to track-test that claim, but the acceleration on I-94 in Michigan seemed to back it up. Top speed on our test car is 161 mph (260 km/h). The R’s range is listed at 311 miles (501 km). Those numbers seem well balanced given the CUV’s hefty 5,490-lb. (2,490-kg) curb weight.
The lower-priced trims generate 603 hp and 524 lb.-ft. (710 Nm) of torque routed through single-speed transmissions at each axle.
The Eletre R is, indeed, fast and fancy, and has the boutique branding details of Lotus. But in a growing field of luxury-priced SUVs and CUVs, including the quiet battery-powered ones, does it represent a solid value versus other SUV BEVs priced all the way up to $150,000, which is the neighborhood the Eletre R will live? (The base model starts at about $115,000 without destination charges, taxes and various other fees.)
British Brand With Roots Stretching to China
Lotus is owned by Chinese automaker Geely. The Eletre and the 4-door Lotus Emeya are built on the same EV architecture, though the Emeya is a bit longer and the Eletre is a bit taller. The Eletre is 201 ins. (5,105 mm) long, 79 ins. (2,007 mm) wide and 64 ins. (1,626 mm) tall. Integrity of the frame is achieved with an aluminum and high-tensile-steel structure mated to the 800V battery pack.
The Eletre stands curbside like a chiseled athlete. Not really eye candy, though. Proportions seem a bit awkward from almost every angle. It has venting for airflow and aerodynamics in the fenders and flanks. But one set of those apertures, at the A-pillar right behind the front wheels, looks at first sight like this six-figure set of wheels has been dented with a bash from a sledgehammer that splayed the cut line where the door and front quarter panel meet. Look more closely and you can see the airflow intention. It’s a fun item to argue about among designers and critics.
The Eletre has active airflow features as well as passive: grille shutters; a rear spoiler that deploys to three positions and exerts up to 247 lbs. (112 kg) of downward pressure; and door handles that fold out from their flush-with-body position as the driver approaches. Side flaps concealing lidar sensors also pop out of the body above the wheel arches. The CUV is equipped with Level 4 autonomous tech, which can be activated where that level of autonomy is legal. Lotus says it has “future-proofed” the Eletre and Emeya. All that airflow management and eccentric surface styling achieves a drag coefficient of 0.26.
Lotus executives have said the Eletre, built in Wuhan, China, has been designed for global markets but with a lean toward the Chinese luxury buyer. That’s okay because from the color-changeable LED lights in the cabin to the premium milled switchgear to the retracting cupholders that only reveal the center-console cavities when a cup is placed in one, there are delightful touches no matter what country you are driving in. The instrument panel is a narrow screen, squinting at the driver through the steering wheel, conveying only the essentials. For the rest of the vehicle’s features – from all four seats having massage function to pairing phones and HVAC – you go to the 15.1-in. (38-cm) center screen. There is also a head-up display for speed. The glass roof is controlled from the center screen and can be changed to transparent, opaque or translucent (like a white lightbulb).
Choices of Trims, Prices and Driving Modes
Lotus gives us a handful of different driving mode choices: sport, touring, range, track and “individual,” which allows some customizing of the ride. Touring, providing a normal maximum rev limit, is for everyday suburban and highway driving. Sport mode adds 200 rpm to the maximum, and the exhaust valve opens from low throttle load/rpm and is fully open at 3,000 rpm. Track lowers the vehicle on the tires for greater stability at speed. Range is an eco mode to maximize range. A steering wheel (squared off at both top and bottom) paddle allows you to change modes when the driver is stopped or moving slower than 5 mph (8 km/h).
The Eletre R trim we’re driving is the beast of the lineup, coming off the line like a shot from a stoplight or an on-ramp. Two beefs in our test car, though: a “drowsy driver” warning on the center screen that would not turn off, and a lane-keeping system that was much too invasive.
Maneuverability is just fine. Turning radius while getting around parking lots is very good, though not as good some other EVs tested. Lane-changing and passing is all above average, but for the pesky lane-keeper we could not turn off. Acceleration and lane-changing on the highway is superior, but I would stay alert for speed traps for sure.
Seating position for the driver was excellent for the 90 minutes we drove. Worth noting is that you can order the Eletre with either seating for five or four by way of an optional center-rear console.
Charge!
The battery pack is both cooled and heated for optimal performance and can charge at up to a peak of 350 kW due to the 800V system and offers 373 miles (597 km) of WLTP range for the base Eletre and Eletre S. As mentioned earlier, the R gets 311 miles.
Charging is a very competitive situation. The battery pack has 350V DC ability, but that’s where it peaks. Put it on a modern fast charger with 10% on the battery, according to the company, and you can get it charged back up to 80% in 20 minutes. The Eletre comes with a 22-kW AC charger as standard. On a more common 7.4-kW charger, the jumbo battery pack will take more like 17 hours. So, using the Eletre as a daily driver with a Level 2 charger will take some battery-charging tactics and planning to emerge from the driveway with a full charge.
Lotus has long teetered on the edge of financial viability except when General Motors owned the company from 1986 to 1993, later when Malaysian automaker and tech company Proton Holdings had a controlling stake, and then when Geely (which owns Volvo Cars) acquired control in 2017. Geely seems committed to moving Lotus firmly into the electrified era, pledging that the brand will produce only EVs by 2028 with annual production targeted at 150,000, up from 1,700 in 2022. That’s quite a hockey stick on the growth graph.
Given the CUV/SUV growth in the luxury space, there is no reason to think the Eltre won’t be a big part of fulfilling Geely’s expectations and do for the Lotus brand what Cayenne did for Porsche.
