Lotus Makes India Debut With Eletre EV SUV

The Lotus Eletre electric SUV has finally reached our shores! The Eletre is the brand’s first SUV and is a high-performance, luxury EV SUV. It also marks the beginning of a new chapter in Lotus’ electrification plans. The Eletre has been launched in India and its prices range between ₹2.55 crore-2.99 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). 

Lotus Eletre Design

It has a cab-forward design that is typical of EVs and has a long wheelbase with short front and rear overhangs. The Eletre has a split headlight setup with thin LED daytime running lights above and LED headlights in the bumpers. The bumper also gets active aero parts in which triangular elements open up to reduce drag. The bonnet gets a chiselled, angular design with two massive vents for better aerodynamics. 

At the rear, the Eletre gets a full-width LED lightbar acting as the taillights, flanked by two gaping vents for air circulation. In profile, it gets a single charging port on the left fender, and a coupe-like sloping roofline as well as flush-fitting door handles. 

Lotus Eletre Interior, Features

The Eletre has a very tech-heavy interior with its biggest highlight being the massive 15.1-inch touchscreen in the centre, running Lotus Hyper OS. The dashboard is split in two and both sides have a small screen that displays key vehicle information. In the centre console are three toggle switches, of which two control the HVAC temperature and one is a drive selector. 

Lotus says the Eletre gets five seats as standard but a four-seat version is available as a part of the Executive Seat Pack. The cabin of the Eletre feels very airy due to the huge panoramic sunroof. The rear seats also get a separate screen to control HVAC. 

Lotus Eletre Powertrain

The Eletre is available with two powertrain options. Both get a dual-motor setup with the lower variants (Eletre and Eletre S) producing 603 bhp and 710 Nm, while the higher variant (Eletre R) produces 905 bhp and 985 Nm. The Eletre and Eletre S can sprint from 0-100 kmph in 4.5 seconds and have a top speed of 258 kmph, meanwhile, the Eletre R can do the 0-100 kmph sprint in 2.95 seconds and has a top speed of 265 kmph.

All three variants get a 112 kWh battery and can be charged from 10-80 per cent using a rapid charger in just 20 mins. While the Eletre and Eletre S have a range of up to 600 km on a full charge, the top-spec Eletre R has a range of up to 490 km on a single charge. 

Lotus Eletre Price, Rivals

Lotus' electric SUV is aimed at the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback (₹1.18 crore-1.30 crore), BMW iX (₹1.21 crore) and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV (₹1.39 crore). Globally, the Eletre rivals the likes of the Rivian R1S and Tesla Model X Plaid.