Lotus Eletre review: what the car critics say 

This “jet-fighter cool”, 2.5-tonnes “monster” is Lotus’s first SUV and first all-electric car, said The Daily Telegraph. Entering a hotly contested market when it goes on sale this year, the Eletre is claimed to be “the world’s best all-electric hyper SUV”. There are three models to choose between: the base (£89,500) and the S (£104,500) both have a single-speed, dual motor 603bhp drivetrain, and can do 0-62mph in 4.5secs, with a top speed of 160mph and a range of 373 miles. The top model R (£120,000) has 892bhp through two-speed transmission, and can do 0-62mph in 2.95secs with a 304-mile range. But of course, the more you select from the options list the more these prices “spin up”.

“Unless you insist on supercar performance, the base model is the best buy of the bunch,” said Car magazine. All versions get an 800-volt system, with a potent 112kWh lithium-ion battery, which charges from 10% to 80% in 20 minutes when connected to a 350kW force feeder. Powerful and rapid, this car is “a fuss-free precision tool” with “the stopping power of a guillotine”.

It may not look like a traditional Lotus, but with “great steering”, “class-leading” brakes and a “supremely well-controlled yet soothing ride”, the Eletre certainly feels like a Lotus, said Auto Express. And it’s not just entertaining to drive. It is also “extraordinarily well made”, with an intuitive and distinctive hi-tech cabin featuring a brilliant 15-inch touchscreen, with Apple and Android connectivity, a great new satnav system and apps galore. There’s plenty of leg- and headroom and acres of space in the rear and the boot. It seems that “out of nowhere, Lotus has nailed it with the Eletre”. From £89,500.

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In pictures: Lotus Eletre