Is an Electric SUV made by Lotus really a Lotus?
Exterior – Front
So, lets start with the styling as for a lotus it needs to be eye catching. Well to start with it is definitely eye catching. We get this really aggressive front end with a split headlight design like what you would find on a BMW. The only difference here is that the main LED headlights are hidden so you cannot see them. I like this design much better. Up top we get these thin LED Daytime Running lights that add to the aggressiveness. Moving down with the headlights we get this wide grill that stretches into the side vents that are actually real. Lower down we get a central air vent with these hexagonal vents with triangles in them. these open and close depending if the motor and battery needs cooling or not. Moving lower down we get some piano black material which I can live with on this price point.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side and we get this sleek coupe like design. Everything is functional. We get these sporty looking wheels which are 22 inches on UK models, but you can get 23 inches and 20 inches in other countries. There are none of your aerodynamic wheel covers here. You also have another air vent near the front wing, and you also get some pop out door handles. Also, instead of actual wing mirrors you get some cameras which aids aerodynamics. You also get a black contrasting roof which I do like.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back this was where I initially didn’t like the design. Now I have seen it I have got used to it. We get this light bar with the lotus name in it. We also get these big air vents either side which actually makes the car look sporty. You also get a spoiler, but it is broken up which also aids aerodynamics. Lower down we don’t get a splitter as such, but the overall design is very unique. We also get a pop-up spoiler. So overall on the outside the design is definitely a Lotus. Let’s have a look and see if the battery and motor options make this car a Lotus.
Car and engine specs and price
So, for the Lotus Eletre there are going to be 3 versions. There is going to be the Eletre, Eletre S and the Eletre R. the normal Eletre and Eletre S will get the same dual motor setup creating 603 bhp. The main difference is that the S has a more sportier driving characteristic. The Eletre R will receive the same front motor as the other 2 but the rear motor is changed for a 603 bhp one making 905 bhp. All 3 of the trim levels use the same 112 kWh battery pack which supports DC charging at 420 kW. The WLTP range for the Eletre and Eletre S is at 373 miles which is actually quite good. For the R it is still at 304 miles. Lotus engineers reckon you can get 248 miles in just 20 minutes using the 420-kW charger. The price for the Eletre starts at £89,500. For the Eletre S it starts at £104,500 and for the R it starts at £120,000. So overall then not that bad for a Lotus. Let’s have a look on the inside.
Interior – Design
So, getting inside the Lotus Eletre and it feels like no other Lotus before it. We get this modern looking dashboard design with 3 screens. We get 2 very thin screens. One for the driver and the other for the passenger. In the middle we get the main screen, but this can be folded out the way when you are on the track, so it is not distracting. We get this unique squarish steering wheel design which I do like. On the door cards we get these speakers with a premium mesh pattern, and we also get the screens for the camera mirrors. These seats are also very supportive and comfy. The interior for me actually feels much better than the Aston Martin DBX and personally I would buy this car over that. Let’s see what it is like in the back.
Practicality
So, sitting in the back of the Lotus Eletre and it feels just as premium in the back as it does in the front. You can either have a 5-seat layout or a 4-seat layout. With the 4 seats on test, they are very supportive and comfy. You also get your own screen in the back to control the media and climate. Space is no matter what seat setup you go for is more than enough for knee room and legroom but middle passengers for the 5-seat version is going to be a bit tight width wise. Personally, I would recommend going for the 4-seat version if you don’t use the middle seat. Let’s check the boot out.
Boot Size
So, opening the boot and we again ger a very premium design. We get some storage bins. Boot size with the seats up is 688 litres and if you fold the seats down you get 1,532 litres.
Summary
So, in summary then what is better the Aston Martin DBX or the Lotus Eletre. Well personally the Aston Martin DBX is feeling a bit outdated using old Mercedes Tech. also that has an internal combustion engine. This is electric. This is the future, and this is the fastest dual motor electric SUV. Personally, I think Lotus is onto a winner with this car and when the new Lotus Saloon comes out that is going to be very similar to this car then I think that could be better than the Porsche Tycan. There are also roumers that Lotus is going to make a smaller lower powered SUV which will sit below this. If they do and it is priced right, I think it could be very popular.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 5/5
Practicality 5/5
Total 15/15
Model | Lotus Eletre |
Price | £89,500 |
Engine | Dual Motor Setup = 603 bhp, 112 kWh Battery Pack = 373 Miles |
Transmission | Automatic Gearbox |
On Sale | Yes |
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