With the Lotus Eletre S, the English brand enters a completely new segment. Or rather, it inaugurates one: that of “HyperSUVs,” applying the concept of sportiness to comfort and the desire to travel with the family in luxury. However, it does not give up its traditional desire to explore technologically and engineering-wise.
@nordiskbil Next year in Denmark too! 🇩🇰 #lotus #lotuscars #lotuseletre #suv #hypersuv #supercar #electriccar #sportscars #holidays #christmasgift #julegave #carsofdenmark #holidaysinitaly ♬ AFTERLIFE – CYREX
In our test drive, we tried the mid-range version: we’re talking about the Lotus Eletre S, with 603 HP and up to 600 km of range, the most powerful on the market for charging speed (up to 350 kW in DC).
Lotus Eletre S: Prices in Scandinavia
Denmark
- Eletre: from 987.410 DKK.
- Eletre S: from 1.311.510 DKK. The Eletre S of our test costs 1.741.590,40 DKK.
- Eletre R: from 1.699.510 DKK.
- Eletre: from 1.192.200 SEK
- Eletre S: from 1.492.400 SEK. The Eletre S of our test costs 1.940.330 SEK.
- Eletre R: 1.833.900 SEK
- Eletre: from 1.076.104 NOK
- Eletre S: from 1.382.253 NOK. The Eletre S of our test costs 1.849.792,10 NOK.
- Eletre R: from 1.752.540 NOK
Lotus Eletre S: Our tops and flops
The Lotus Eletre is certainly difficult to understand. For those seeking a classic Lotus, it might be almost sacrilegious, but we all know that if the brand had continued to produce only two-seater hypercars, it might not be among us. Instead, this Eletre S SUV, powerful but not sporty, proves that the reborn brand is still able to innovate in terms of design and technology, here at the maximum possible for the group. Of course, maybe there are too many displays, and the system is closed, but the quality is all there, the fun as well, and the performance, for the first time in a Lotus, also looks towards off-road. Not to mention that, with 350 kW of power in direct current, it is the electric car with the most powerful charging on the market.
What we like:
- Exquisite attention to detail;
- Comprehensive safety systems;
- It drives like a marvel in sport mode.
What we don’t like:
- Some interior details are a bit cheap;
- The infotainment could work better;
- Rear visibility is not the best.
Lotus Eletre S: a design that screams Aerodynamics
The name Eletre certainly refers to the electric traction of the model, but it comes from some Eastern European languages: it means “come to life,” confirming the novelty brought forward by this model.
Designed and developed at the Lotus Tech Creative Center in Warwickshire, England, its desire to continue innovating is evident from the design itself. Ben Payne heads the design, and his team worked to make the car resemble an object smoothed by the air that accompanies the airflow outside the vehicle on all sides.
There are also many technological features, starting with the rear spoiler that, like a good sports car, raises and lowers, as well as the upper “broken” spoiler, in black, which is very effective.
The Green Galloway color is stunning, paying homage to the brand’s history. It is perhaps the most distinctive element of Lotus today because it is a shade that has adorned many cars and also appears on the beautiful brake calipers and its large 22-inch glossy black wheels.
Interior opulence
The approach to the interiors is decidedly new, totally different from the past. The desire to explore the concept of a premium car with refined materials up to Alcantara is much more noticeable. In this case, we have the Executive package with a 9” rear display in Gold style, which includes beige/black nappa leather.
Although the seats have a sporty aesthetic, they are designed more for great comfort, and they succeed very well. What I loved is the steering wheel, reminiscent of sports cars (it also has a mark to indicate if it’s straight), nice to grip, especially when driving in Sport. But despite this, the chosen approach is that of a precious, almost opulent car, as seen from the design of the buttons, cup holder frames, and the overall luxurious atmosphere.
The approach is also technological, and here there are 4 screens: one at the rear, already mentioned, which allows those sitting behind to independently control the climate, as well as media.
Two, thin, integrate into the air vents and ambient light: the digital cluster, with all the information, is very cute. And then the one for the front passenger, who can set the music and other parameters.
In the center, the large 15.1-inch OLED display with the proprietary OS, well done and connected to the internet, from which to set every parameter. I admit that from such a car, I would have preferred a better panel because it retains a lot of fingerprints and somewhat ruins the perception.
Nothing to say about the system, which inherently includes Spotify and, thanks to the Store, allows downloading other apps, including games. It lacks compatibility with CarPlay and Android Auto (or at least, I couldn’t activate it in any way), but this is now a trend among premium manufacturers.
Powerful but not “Super”
I’m sure we’ll find the HyperSUV concept in the Lotus Eletre R, a completely different machine: it has 3 electric motors, over 900 HP of power, and accelerates from 0 to 100 in less than 3 seconds.
The S is not weak, but it prefers something more comfortable and relaxed. In Sport, however, it provides considerable fun, especially on open and winding roads, where it doesn’t feel its weight and demonstrates all its stability, thanks also to the previously praised steering wheel.
But the other soul, and in my opinion deliberately the main one, is that of a car to enjoy the journey, move in comfort, as well as a very successful and distinctive representative car, if we look at it from a Business perspective. It is very quiet, also because well soundproofed, devoid of mystical sounds or fake engines reproduced as on other cars, which is appreciated.
Another point in its favor is safety because here you can appreciate all the best of the group’s technology. As standard, Eletre and Eletre S have the ADAS compartment facilitated by the Lidar sensor, which is then projected both in the Head-Up Display, large and three-dimensional; and in the center one, where the car shows that it recognizes other vehicles and their dimensions, motorcycles, bikes, and stationary or moving pedestrians, 360°, which helps a lot.
It may falter in terms of practicality: the adjustment of the mirrors is not intuitive, but above all, every parameter (except for the driving modes selected from the steering wheel) goes through the central display: so the adjustment of ADAS, climate, and other settings. A pity because it distracts a lot.
The first Lotus for Off-Road
The other novelty for a Lotus is that there is also an off-road driving mode, thanks to all-wheel drive and adjustable electronic suspension on three height levels. The off-road mode brings the Eletre to the maximum height, allowing it to tackle very steep and muddy terrains very well.
Conversely, the Sport completely lowers the car. In any case, even in other modes, it is possible to independently choose the height based on what is needed or preferred.
350 kW Charging
An all-around car that loves to travel a lot, also because the range here reaches around 600 km, which is quite realistic. Of course, not driving too sportively, but even on the highway at 130 km/h, considerable distances can be covered, and above all, kilometers can be recovered very, very quickly.
The 350 kW power in direct current is the real added value. Unique on the market at the moment, in 15 minutes, it has already recovered over 300 km, and it reaches 80% in just over twenty.
