√2024 Lotus Eletre: 675kW electric SUV confirmed for Australia

The first ever Lotus SUV will be coming to Australia in 2024, launching in local showrooms as one of the most powerful electric cars on sale.

The 2024 Lotus Eletre is locked in for Australia, with the British sports car-maker’s local distributor confirming the electric SUV is due to arrive in showrooms before 2025.

Revealed in March, the Eletre is set to become the iconic British marque’s first SUV, with production slated to begin next year in China at a factory operated by Geely – the Chinese parent company of Lotus, which also owns Volvo and Polestar.

The Australian distributor of Lotus says the Eletre is due in local showrooms in 2024, although when in the year is yet to be determined.

Richard Gibbs, chief operating officer of Lotus Australia, told Drive the company has received an increase in enquiries for the Lotus Eletre this week, with expressions of interest in the double digits.

While Australian specifications and pricing of the Lotus Eletre are yet to be finalised, the British company has announced its electric SUV will launch overseas in three grades next year.

The Lotus Eletre and Eletre S variants are powered by two electric motors which develop up to 450kW and 710Nm, allowing the electric car to sprint from zero to 100km/h in a claimed 4.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 258km/h.

According to Lotus, the flagship Eletre R is the fastest dual-motor electric SUV in the world with outputs of 675kW/985Nm (the more powerful 761kW Tesla Model X Plaid has three motors), reducing its 0-100km/h time to 2.95 seconds and increasing its top speed to 265km/h.

The Lotus Eletre’s electric motors are powered by a 112kWh battery pack – delivering a claimed WLTP test cycle driving range of up to 600km for Eletre and Eletre S grades on 20-inch wheels, or 490km for the Eletre R.

Lotus claims the 112kWh battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes, supported by a 800-volt electric-car platform which can DC fast charge at up to 350kW.

The entry-level Lotus Eletre variant is priced from £89,500 in the UK, equivalent to $AU160,000 in Australian currency – or a mid-spec Porsche Taycan 4S (£86,500 in the UK, or $197,200 plus on-road costs in Australia).

Standard equipment on the Lotus Eletre includes 22-inch 10-spoke forged wheels, active air suspension, torque vectoring, matrix LED headlights, an active front grille and five drive modes.

Lotus offers five wheel designs for the Eletre, ranging from 20 to 23 inches in diameter.

From launch, the Lotus Eletre will be available in six exterior paint colours – Natron Red, Galloway Green, Stellar Black, Kaimu Grey, Blossom Grey or Solar Yellow – with six finishes on offer for its brake calipers.

The Lotus Eletre’s interior is equipped with wireless smartphone charging, 12-way electrically-adjustable front seats, four-zone automatic climate control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a 1380-watt, 15-speaker KEF sound system – controlled through a 15.1-inch OLED touchscreen.

Stepping up to the £104,500 ($AU187,000) Eletre S results in upgrades such as privacy glass, an active rear spoiler, adjustable ambient lighting, illuminated side sills, a soft-close door, auto-dimming side mirrors, an air quality system and a 2160-watt, 23-speaker KEF Reference sound system.

The range-topping £120,000 ($215,000) Eletre R includes ‘Track Mode’ (lowering the ride height and stiffening its dampers/anti-roll bars), a Lotus dynamic handling pack, carbon-fibre pack, gloss black wheels, stainless steel sports pedals, black badging and high-performance tyres.

Additional option packs include the ceramic brake pack, executive seat pack (taking the Eletre from a five-seater to four), comfort seat pack, carbon fibre pack, extended carbon fibre pack and interior carbon fibre pack.

The Lotus Eletre will be fitted with four lidar sensors – mounted on the windscreen, rear window and front wheel arches – which allow the electric SUV to offer advanced driver assistance capabilities.

According to Lotus, the Eletre is capable of receiving over-the-air updates, with the car-maker saying “the system will be fully ready when individual market regulations allow for the more advanced levels of autonomous driving”.

A parking pack and a highway assist pack are also offered to overseas customers.

In the UK, the Lotus Eletre comes with a five-year/100,000-mile (160,000km) warranty, plus five years of roadside assistance in Europe.

Drive will report on Australian pricing and specifications for the Lotus Eletre when information becomes available.

The post 2024 Lotus Eletre: 675kW electric SUV confirmed for Australia appeared first on Drive.

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