$300k super SUV tested: The Lotus Eletre, a weird and wonderful EV

Saturday, 9 December 2023

The Lotus Eletre represents a sea of firsts for the Chinese-owned British carmaker, as it prepares for a grand plug-in pivot.

There is sometimes honour in going against the grain – particularly if it is in pursuit of upholding tradition. But by the same token, sometimes it can be good to follow convention, even if it means change. Boasting to your mates that you don’t have a TikTok account loses its lustre when it just means they don’t get to talk to you about the funny viral video of the cat tipping over a Christmas tree.

Likewise, any sports car or supercar manufacturer steadfastly resisting producing an SUV in order to attract customers gets respect from me. Statistically, though, companies with this commitment are also making less money because they’re selling less cars.

This is why, one by one, we’ve seen brands like Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lamborghini, and Ferrari all put tradition to the side to do the unheard of and make a car that technically belongs to the same segment as the Toyota RAV4 … an SUV.

The Eletre is the bedrock of Lotus’ reinvention of itself as a purely electric carmaker.

If you’d have asked me a few years ago who the last industry holdout to this phenomena would be, I’d have probably said Lotus. But, the Chinese-owned British carmaker has now also hopped aboard the SUV train with this huge, fast, fully electric thing called the Eletre – a pioneer not only because it’s the brand’s first SUV, but also because it’s Lotus’ first EV, and first luxury car. Tall order, then.

Brands embarking on this endeavour into the SUV unknown don’t often use half measures. If your attempt is a cynical one, you risk immediate rejection from customers old and new. And the Eletre is certainly no half-measure car.

The Lotus Eletre is the Chinese-owned British carmaker's first tilt at an EV, an SUV, and a luxury car.

Admittedly, the EPA architecture underneath is a flavour of Geely platform (a variant unique to Lotus models), but beyond that the Eletre is almost completely bespoke.

Dual motors and all-wheel drive produce 450kW/710Nm, and can send the 2500kg Eletre to 100kph in 4.5 seconds. There’s also an Eletre R on the way, upping the ante to 675kW/985Nm and a blistering 0–100 of 2.95 seconds. Both get a mammoth 112kWh battery pack, rated for a range of 600km in the S and 490km in the R.

Its heavily sculpted bodywork is more ‘fascinating’ than ‘beautiful’, particularly in neutral light like this.

Priced from $265,000, it isn’t cheap. Our tester with its optional whistles and bells ($8,624 for the diamond-turned wheels, $24,145 for the extended carbon fibre pack, and so on) was a $345,528 break-the-bank beast. With pricing like that, the Eletre puts itself in the same arena as the Audi RS Q8 and BMW XM, whilst nipping at the heels of the slightly pricier Aston Martin DBX, Lamborghini Urus, and Bentley Bentayga.

The Eletre’s lead point of difference is that where the others get burly V8s or the odd hybrid, it’s fully electric. The Eletre’s dimensions are also pretty distinctive. It’s amongst the shortest in length, but its wheelbase is about the same as everything else, and it’s much wider than the rest – in some cases up to 40mm wider.

It turns out plenty of gunk builds up in the air vents behind the rear wheels, as Nile’s mud-coated arm attested about five seconds after this photo was taken.

To look at, the Eletre is fascinating. A natural beauty it isn’t. But that’s no surprise given how surprisingly complex the body is. Like a piece of Swiss cheese it is full of holes – apertures for air to travel through, making the Eletre more slippery in the wind. There are no less than five pairs of gaping holes for air to flow through on its sculpted aluminium body; some big enough to fit a whole arm.

Just as complex is the amount of active parts integrated into the body, like the flush door handles, and the four retractable lidar sensors (two on the roof and one on each front fender), each fitted with its own set of washer jets.

Paging Tesla, this is how you make a minimalist cabin without compromsing on usability ...

Perhaps the most intricate and mesmerising element of the Eletre’s design is the active shutters in the front grille, which open and close like a flower’s petals in order to either allow for greater powertrain cooling when open, or greater aerodynamics when closed.

Although Lotus has always been a reasonably exclusive brand, they’ve never necessarily been pitched as a premium or luxury brand. Indeed, a large portion of their past models became known for being pretty … agricultural … inside. Lotus has clearly worked on this. Its Emira has an excellent cabin. But, the Eletre takes things to crazy new levels.

Lotus touchscreen software is neatly laid out, responds quickly, and crystal clear thanks to the OLED screen.

Everything that looks like metal, is metal. The finish of the knurled switches that litter every surface is sublime, and feel beautiful to the touch. Each Nappa leather–lined surface is plush and welcoming, and everything feels well bolted together.

Where normally a carmaker will cheap out on at least one or two innocuous buttons, all of the Eletre’s switches – from the windows to the indicators to the seat adjustment – look and feel like quality.

The switchgear inside the Lotus, particularly the knurled metal elements, feels incredible to use.

It’s a credit to Lotus and the attention to detail it’s deployed here. It’s not all perfect, quite. The rocker switches on the steering wheel spokes are a little spongy and awkward. But, it’s a fair sight closer than I’d have expected.

If you plonked me in this cabin and told me I was in a new Bentley, I’d have just about believed you.

It’s very fast and very capable. But is the Eletre a ‘true Lotus’? Whatever that means ...

There are three screens up front; a central 15.1-inch OLED touchscreen and two very small displays built into the dashboard in the form of a simple cluster for the driver and an equally simple passenger screen. This small screen approach (there’s a head-up display, too) gives the dashboard a minimalist look without burying everything on the one touchscreen, while also underlining that the Eletre is meant to be a ‘proper driver’s car’. The driver will ideally be too busy focusing on apexes to be engrossed by a big digital cluster.

The main touchscreen itself is rather nice to use. Its interface is full of addictive animations of the Eletre that can be swiped around and interacted with. These are all produced in Unreal Engine – the same graphic software system used by countless films and video games. The 1380W Kef sound system is fantastic, too.

The Eletre’s active aero in the front grille unfurls open and closed. A neat party trick to show the folks at the golf club.

One software gripe relates to the Eletre’s active safety tech. It emits a constant barrage of beeps and bongs – most coming from a speed limit alarm that was often incorrect about posted limits. These can be switched off, but the car switches them all back on again each time you turn it off. Frustrating.

Speaking of speed, the Eletre is very fast … although maybe not in the area where you’re expecting it to be.

The Lotus Eletre is a fantastic first entry to the luxo-SUV space from the plucky marque. Whether customers will opt for one of these over a Lamborghini Urus or BMW XM remains to be seen.

Off the line, the Eletre cannot replicate the explosive instant delivery that’s become a formality with most of these hypo-performance EVs. Launch it, and there’s a clear initial delay in response as it scurries off the line. Once you’re rolling, the inevitable electric eruption happens.

It made me wonder whether the S had been neutered somewhat to make the impending R feel a little more special. Its mid-range performance is much more impressive. Floor the throttle at 80kph and the subsequent punch sends you to 100kph instantly.

No, the Eletre’s strongest suit is its cornering. Lotus has seamlessly applied its chassis and steering prowess to a car three times heavier than an Elise. Slotted into Sport with the air suspension in either of its two active height configurations (‘low’ or ‘lowest’), the Eletre rewards with a positive front end with eager steering, good mid-corner bite, composure with a hint of rear-end weightlessness during rapid direction changes, and very little body roll or understeer.

The biggest boot in a Lotus yet, by quite a considerable margin ...

Plenty of room in the back seat, complete with electronically adjustable recline.

Check out the detail of the finishing around the electric seat buttons, an area that you rarely ever actually see.

Two gaping apertures on the flanks of the front bumper help guide air around the front wheels.

The 1380W KEF sound system is fantastic, offering plenty of detail and texture for audiophiles.

Possibly the Eletre’s best looking angle?

The carbon detailing in the front fascia will undoubtedly stand out more on an Eletre painted in a brighter colour.

Thanks to this incredible passenger-seat display, those riding shotgun will know that it’s 12:05pm, and that the day is Wednesday.

Weirdest car key in the world? Oddly enough, the Eletre’s triangular key doesn’t have a hole in it, so you can’t put it on a key ring ...

There’s one of these retractable Lidar sensors above each front wheel.

There’s a small ‘frunk’ under the bonnet, but it’s only really large enough for a charging cable and a few chocolate bars.

All of the Eletre’s scoops and vents make it quite interesting to look at, particularly when it’s hit by strong light.

One of four restractable Lidar sensors that can be found on the Eletre’s body.

Hand the Eletre a huge helping of throttle in the middle of a medium bend or tight cambered corner, and it happily eats it up.

Much of the Eletre’s cornering capability comes from its suspension. Air suspension and electronically controlled dampers soften big blows and manage rebound, and they’re backed up by Lotus’ decision to use lightweight aluminium components throughout. Six-piston Brembo stoppers up front, Pirelli P-Zero shoes, and torque vectoring further aid the model’s cause.

The air suspension calibration is one of the most broad I’ve used, with a very clear difference in feel and behaviour between the harshest setting and the softest. The rate of body roll grows exponentially in Tour or Off-Road mode, compared to when Sport is selected. Choose Sport, and the ride firms up significantly. Sport and ‘low’ were a sweet spot on the Hunua back roads I explored. I only lasted a few kilometres in ‘lowest’ before switching it off. Too rough for our pavement.

I’ll note, too, that while the front bucket seats score points for being very supportive in the bends (electric bolstering hugging you tight when Sport is selected), I’m not sure that they would be comfortable over a longer drive.

The paddles behind the steering wheel are also an acquired taste. They’re beautifully made, but oddly formatted where the left side deals with regenerative braking adjustment and the right side cycles through your drive modes. Each paddle is split into an up button and a down button. They’re easy enough to use, but it feels like a missed opportunity to integrate regen adjustment into spirited driving by having it controlled on both sides like in a lot of other hot EVs.

Of course, all of this leads to the inevitable question from the life-long Lotus purist; is the Eletre a ‘real Lotus’?

Well, given that it is about as much of a departure as is possible from the brand’s most famous past models, I’m probably not blowing anyone’s minds in saying that the Eletre has barely anything in common with an Elan or an Exige. Inevitably, all of the active software aspects that make it so responsive and capable also result in a driving experience that feels, at times, doesn’t feel enormously connected or characterful.

It’s not for a lack of trying. Like everyone else Lotus also has to abide by the laws of physics. Expecting a 2.5-ton electric SUV to share handling characteristics with a 900kg Elise is, obviously, unrealistic. Still, within the Eletre’s competitors in the plush-’n’-punchy SUV context, the Eletre feels the closest to the Lotus ethos.

Ultimately, Lotus faithful should be proud. Your brand was able to churn out an enormously compelling offering in a very foreign space – perhaps helping strengthen the marque’s financial future in the process.

Bonus images