The top-spec Lotus Eletre R packs 905 bhp and 985 Nm combined output from dual motors, 0-100 km/h sprint in 2.95 seconds and 258 km/h top speed
If you wanted a British high-performance vehicle in India, Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin and McLaren were the usual suspects. Now there’s a new British carmaker that has entered the Indian high-performance car scene: quintessential British sportscar manufacturer, Lotus. The brand has officially commenced operations in India with its all-electric SUV, Eletre.
Lotus Entered India With Eletre e-SUV
For starters, Lotus has chosen Delhi-based Exclusive Motors as its official distribution partner. The first dealership will go operational in nation’s capital, followed by other key cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and the likes. There are three variants of Lotus Eletre on offer – Standard Eletre (Rs. 2.55 Cr), Eletre S (Rs. 2.75 Cr) and Eletre R (Rs. 2.99 Cr) (all prices ex-sh).
There are variations in powertrain with respect to the aforementioned variants. All the variants feature the same 112 kWh battery with Standard Eletre and Eletre S both come equipped with rapid charging support along with a standard 22 kW AC charger. Standard Eletre and Eletre S offer a total of 603 bhp dual motor layout with 700 Nm of combined torque.
The range is 600 km (claimed) and 0-100 km/h sprint time takes 4.5 seconds. If you think that’s impressive, the top-spec Eletre R blows these numbers out of the water. Eletre R boasts a dual-motor layout with a total system output of 905 bhp of raw power and 985 Nm of instantaneous torque. Coupled with a 2-speed gearbox, Eletre R will hit 100 km/h from a standstill in 2.95 seconds and go till 258 km/h unleashed.
Top-spec Eletre R is easily the world’s fastest electric SUV and can be kitted with optional Handling Pack and Carbon Fibre Pack. Torque vectoring, AWD, active air suspension and 5 drive modes are notable elements. Lotus Eletra is offered in Natron Red, Galloway Green, Stellar Black, Kaimu Grey, Blossom Grey and Solar Yellow. The next car from Lotus in India will be Emira sportscar.
Design and aesthetics
The Geely-owned brand has introduced a new design language that takes inspiration from Emira and Evija sportscars. That said, there is a slight Asian car design edge with Lotus Eletre over classic British designs with minimalistic and sensational elegance. Its not a bad thing, though, as the cab-forward stance, short overhangs and long wheelbase lend a distinct identity.
Fascia gets a short bonnet and an active front grill. Split headlight design has boomerang-shaped LED DRLs on top. In profile, standard 22-inch wheels, flush door handles and floating roof effect look swanky and the kink in its window line reminds me of Asian car designs. Rear has a full-width LED light bar along with a 3-stage deployable split roof spoiler.
On the inside, dashboard design mimics the split roof spoiler. Lotus Eletre gets wool-blend recycled materials in place of leather. The 15.1-inch touchscreen infotainment screen running Lotus Hyper OS, can fold itself when not required. Other than that, the whole interior is an absolute tech fest.
Primary highlights are rear-view cameras instead of mirrors, triple ribbon screen instrument cluster, driver monitoring camera, 5G compatibility, smartphone app, four-zone climate control, 15-speaker KEF music system with Dolby Atmos, soft close doors, ADAS with LIDAR tech, OTA updates and more.
