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.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In pictures: Lotus Eletre
-
Nepal chooses toddler as its new ‘living goddess’Under the Radar Girls between two and four are typically chosen to live inside the temple as the Kumari – until puberty strikes
-
October 5 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailoutTalking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipeThe Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite booksThe Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 millionFeature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classicThe Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period dramaThe Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thrillerThe Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiryThe Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’
