Shortly after the launch of the Jaguar I-Pace in Malaysia, here comes another electric SUV from another British car brand. The Lotus Eletre is coming to Malaysia very soon and it’s the brand’s first-ever production EV and its first-ever SUV.
The Lotus Eletre was first revealed last year and it’s also their first vehicle to be made in China. The Eletre comes with twin motors powering all wheels and it is offered with a maximum output of either 450kW (603) or an insane 675kW (905hp) for the range-topping Eletre R. Both the base Eletre and Eletre S can do 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds while the Eletre R gets there in just 2.95 seconds. The top speed for the 450kW variant is 257km/h while the Eletre R is slightly higher at 265km/h.
Across the board, the Eletre uses 22″ wheels with Pirelli P-Zero 275/40 tyres for the front and 315/35 tyres for the rear. The base model gets a “silver diamond-turned forged” alloy design while the range-topping R model gets gloss black forged alloy rims.
The Eletre claims to provide a maximum driving range of up to 600km on a single charge from a massive 112kWh battery. Thankfully it uses an 800V architecture which can support ultra-fast charging from a 350kW DC Charger. Lotus claims it can get 400km of range with just 20 minutes of charge. If you’re not in a hurry, it also gets a 22kW AC onboard charger.
Despite being a high-performance electric SUV, the Lotus Eletre doesn’t lack practical features. It has a massive 688-litre boot which you can access hands-free and it can be expanded up to 1,532 litres with the rear seats folded down. If that’s not enough, there’s even space for a front trunk with a respectable 46-litre capacity.
On the inside, the Eletre gets a premium cabin which aims to offer a new vision of sustainable luxury. You can spec it up with Re-Fibre interior option or have the seats wrapped with premium Nappa leather. The centre of the dash features a 15.1″ HD OLED display paired with KEF Premium Audio with 15 speakers. It also supports Wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, along with four USB-C ports and a wireless charger.
In terms of safety, the Lotus Elect offers advanced driver assist systems as standard which also include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot detection, park assist and Lotus Intelligent Dynamic Chassis Control.
In the UK, the Lotus Eletre is priced from GBP 89,500 (about RM486,058) for the base model and GBP 104,500 (about RM567,520) for the Eletre S. Meanwhile, the most powerful Eletre R option is priced at GBP 120,000 (about RM651,698). It would be interesting to see how much this new electric SUV would be priced in Malaysia as fully imported EVs are still tax exempted until 2025.
Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul recently paid a visit to Geely in China where he checked out several new EVs under the Group including the Zeekr 001. Interestingly, he also shared a photo of himself driving a right-hand-drive version of the Lotus Eletre.
Weighing over 2,000kg and with insanely powerful twin electric motors, the Eletre is a car that goes against what Lotus stands for. Lotus Cars founder Colin Chapman famously said, “Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere”.
