FIRST DRIVE: Lotus Eletre: Masterstroke or madness? We deliver the surprise verdict | Electrifying

#lotus #lotuseletre #eletre
Read the review: www.electrifying.com/reviews/...
As a company that has teetered on the edge of extinction at numerous points in its history, Lotus knows all about the concept of reinventing itself. Although the brand is in fine financial fettle these days with owner Geely at the wheel, the end of the combustion era means that Lotus is once again in search of a new direction.
The brand’s first all new production model to be funded and developed under Geely ownership is the Eletre - a five-seater, all-electric SUV that will usher in a new generation of battery-powered Lotuses. Big, brash and loaded with technology, it’s a world away from the stripped-back two-seaters that made Lotus a household name. But times change, and as the success of cars like the Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus continues to show, big supercar SUVs are big business.
With a 112kWh battery, 350kW charging, 373 miles of range and supercar performance, the Eletre certainly looks the part on paper. Question is, do these incredible figures translate to a great car? Join Mike as he puts the new Lotus Eletre through its paces.
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[@akf2000]

"designed by someone who likes other human beings" 😅😅😅

[@Neojhun]

I'm only 5ft 10in and thin. Squishing my self into a Lotus Exige was quite the memorable experience. Clearly not designed for many humans. Yet I fit perfectly fine in a 1992 NA Miata MX-5 with the hard top.

[@PeterSephton]

Good review of an interesting car. Lotus Engineering seems to have done a really smart job in adding features that may justify the high price. Your comparisons with the Tesla etc suggests this is what they've achieved. And for those quoting Colin Chapman and lightness - it's an ELECTRIC car. He wouldn't be upset, he'd embrace the future.

[@sw2de3fr4gt]

Hope this enables Lotus to make more affordable models just like the Cayenne did for Porsche. The car looks pretty good for an SUV on the outside and the interior is one of the nicest I've seen.

[@Nickbaldeagle02]

Affordable is very subjective.

[@richardkeane3051]

Great video! Sign this man up. Best EV SUV to date I think. Bravo Lotus.👍

[@matthewcox5579]

I managed to sit in one at Goodwood yesterday and agree that it looks far better in reality and the quality of the interior was of a high standard. The Lotus stand was swamped with people eager to see the new car. I am sure that they will well plenty of them.

[@SWR112]

Lotus are going to sell these in buckets as everyone is fed up with Range Rovers. If they get the build quality spot on it could reinvent Lotus. Over 900 Bhp 😂 Love to see a British brand do well, it would be a shame to see Lotus go the way of some of the others. Over Model X absolutely I’d take the Lotus.

[@Nickbaldeagle02]

Yeah... about that British brand... This car is Chinese.

[@davidp1288]

Always had a love for Lotus cars dating back to the time a Lotus Europa in bright yellow overtook us in my dad’s Morris Minor. The John Player F1 cars were some of the most beautiful Grand Prix cars ever made and I was an avid fan when Mario Andretti dominated the scene when he won the world championship. Unfortunately they lost their way a little and the Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious title became too real. This car, though, looks fabulous inside and out and the bonus is that at the age of 67 I can probably get in and out of it. £90K you say? I will be looking down the back of my sofa when I get home to see how much change is down there!

[@GolLeeMe]

This is absolutely brilliant. Go to the top of the class.

[@srodigital]

2.2m wide...sounds a bit too wide for use in the UK. Sounds like its designed for the huge wide spaces in the USA, especially parking spaces.

[@robsmith1a]

Agreed, the width of modern cars my least favourite feature

[@ohyesitsme]

Probably only Americans can afford them.

[@garysootycook809]

Great looking car

[@GrrMeister]

[@ToreHansen]

Welcome to Norway, great car and video!

[@pm8465]

Beautiful looking car. Just wish I could afford one 😢

[@miekieko7076]

I'm really liking this new guy. Sounds completely unscripted. Nice calm voice too. More please. As for the eletre, Its a great effort from Lotus, the only issues for me though are that its too big (I live in London) and very expensive. Will wait to see the smaller suv

[@hadtobe4502]

No mention of V2G or V2X capability. I presume that it does not have this function.

[@yetufekci1]

I think the main screen could have some fancier design. It looks like just a rectangle in the middle of beautifully designed interior.

[@Joseph-jy5lz]

Excellent review of and excellent EV

[@judebrown4103]

Very droll review, enjoyed the chuckle.😂👍

[@tjittekamminga5170]

what a beauty!

[@volvo_kristian]

Awesome video 🙌

[@nico030864]

Love it !!!

[@wobby1516]

It’s on my wish list! Along with winning the lottery 😏 certainly a Beautiful car.

[@greggpon7466]

I don't know how integrated thr design team is. But in Sweden there is polestar and volvo. In the uk we have the lotus team to take care of the vehicle dynamics. Lastly in China we have Geeley and zeekr for the manufacture.

[@ConservativeArabNet]

Very good looking car

[@petersimms4982]

Stunningly gorgeous! Looks like the same designer that designs Volvos 😊

[@benjaminsmith2287]

It's not.

[@morganangel340]

@@benjaminsmith2287 both are Geely

[@IndigenousEarthling101]

Looks like Lotus asked Midjourney to make a Lotus Model Y. This will inevitably be compared to the Tesla Model Y, and will hopefully attract luxury buyers looking for something much more premium and unique. They probably won't sell very many. I think that's a good strategy for an exclusive luxury brand.

[@alikiani3587]

You can buy 3 model Y’s for the price of 1 lotus- Tesla buys90% hardware with Entry level sedan specs from China.. and builds in a with low quality level- This Lotus is a Chinese car with emphasis on high quality Hardware as they want to compete in the high end market.. Norway is full of Model Y and other chinese brands…. Tesla is going for the mid and low end market as it can’t compete on high end segment anymore

[@milesyounghamilton]

Lotus won’t exist as a company if they don’t evolve. This is a decent car

[@staceypayton5159]

Looks like that new Buick to me...😳

[@stevehartley7504]

If in doubt don't have the extra kid Four seats looks great! I so want one of these. Ahhh, I'll have to await the lottery win then

[@Holeyguagaamoley]

Does this not look like the Volvo ex30 or the Zeeker ?

[@mattcarversbulldogges4917]

Very nice car but I'm just not sold on them new camera wing mirror set up yet, right now it just seems a slight design flaw

[@leisurecide9478]

optional anyways.

[@mattcarversbulldogges4917]

@@leisurecide9478 optional 'extra' £/$

[@johndoyle4723]

Well, I would want one, but the price! Looks really good, and super interior, way better than model x. I would worry about the lack of dealer support, there will be troubles, and usually serious,Lotus owners will understand the phraseology. Despite the above, they will sell all they can produce.

[@paulburns3211]

Serious competition for the Macan EV

[@shroomyesc]

I understand people's attachments to the past but besides the obvious (That Lotus needs to sell high volume high margin models to not go bankrupt) I would say this is far more a Lotus than say, the Urus is a Lamborghini yet people came around to that. If I had to guess, the Geely part bothers some more than they'd admit.

[@zuu1701]

Love it

[@anthonyc8499]

Mike Askew was great in the TV show Star Trek Discovery.

[@pauljcustodio1904]

😊Nice locking car, its a Zeekr 001 frrim Geely family.

[@stratosphericozone2645]

Mind blowing design looks to have made the best of being a SUV but 2.5 tones with 200Nm of more torque than a F1 engine is that really a good idea. I think I would prefer not to see many on the road.

[@EliotHochberg]

Regarding the camera mirrors, I know that the main reason for them is to reduce drag, which is very important for electric vehicles. But it’s got me thinking, is there a way to do a mechanical version of those? I find myself concerned as to what happens if there’s some kind of an electrical failure while you’re driving. But it seems to me that, periscope and lens and mirror technology want to be able to give you a real world view of what’s going on outside the car. I’m sure I’m being silly, but at the same time it would be very cool.

[@davidcolin6519]

Although BEVs have a horrendous weight problem, that is only the current situation. CATL have their Condensed Matter batteries going into production this year (ie, they're not some pie-in-the-sky tech that will never actually see the light of day) with an energy density of "up to" 500kWh/kg, with improved charging and cycling characteristics. Those batteries will first go to Zeekr, another brand that belongs to the Lotus parent company (Geely) Now, Lotus sports cars (not this BS window dressing exercise) would probably benefit more than any other brand with that tech, because the combined power supply (battery and controlling tech) and drive train (electric motors, and their associated controllers) start comparing very well, weight for weight, with an ICE. Even the light weight drivetrains traditionally specced by Lotus, combined with a full tank, will weigh in at something in the region of 300kg. But using CM batteries and relatively low power/weight electric motors (say 200-400 kW), weighing in at 30-odd kg, you can still include a more-than-respectable battery pack and keep the combined weight of motor/energy source within "proper" sports car limits. That may be all the theory we need, but if the parent company is not interested, it's not going to happen. And that would be a tremendous shame, because it is precisely the sort of out-of-the-box thinking and engineering that Colin Chapman would have rubbed his hands in glee at, especially with all the parts bin resources that Geely has available. Not only that, but with the preventative tech available to modern car designers, it could also be the safest Lotus as well! Unfortunately, I just don't see it happening. I think we'll just have to wait for another resourceful, original thinker to do it at some time down the line.

[@akf2000]

Looking at new EVs is such a waiting game. Just read CATL are looking at aviation as the first application for this which makes sense. So maybe a Lotus flying car at some point

[@phuketexplorer]

Nio have just announced their latest E6 model, fitted with a solid state battery, although the car industry in general is relying on punters paying today's rediculous prices to fund development in new battery technology. This shiny new Lotus will be worth half its current 90K price tag in less than 12 months!

[@davidcolin6519]

@@phuketexplorer "This shiny new Lotus will be worth half its current 90K price tag in less than 12 months!" I for one hope so, because the history of Lotus depreciation would make that a win. "Nio have just announced their latest E6 model, " I wish people could accurately quote basic info It took me a while to realise the you were talking about the ES6. Part of the problem with Nio is that it is difficult for a European to take them seriously. Any car company which relies on building its own infrastructure in order to provide a benefit for its owners is always going to face problems of making enough money. Tesla overcame this by not making their USP an infrastructural challenge, more an added bonus. Nio is facing an existential threat because they can't persuade export markets to take them seriously. Don't get me wrong, I'd be delighted if Nio can prove me wrong, but I don't think it will happen. And solid state batteries really are a leap into the dark, but even then I'm, not trying to imply that they won't be a huge benefit. But Toyota has been claiming their SS batteries are just around the corner... for about 10 years, and I've stopped believing them. The CM batteries are going into production. They're not some BS claim by a desperate legacy brand, or punt for a brand that needs something, anything. When I see the first SS battery equipped car running off the production line and operating as described, I'll be delighted. Until then, I am not holding my breath. But my point in the first place is that the ideals of Colin Chapman's engineering liturgy have not died with the BEV age, I actually think that we might be close to a golden age. All we need is for a manufacturer to embrace them.

[@davidcolin6519]

@@phuketexplorer Except that Nio's "solid State" battery appears to only have an energy density of some 360 Wh/kg in comparison to CATL's 500. Really, there is no point in talking about the tech if the results are no better than existing tech. CATL's CM batteries are really a hybrid/crossover tech between SS and traditional Li battery tech. I'm sure that we'll be looking at far better battery performance into the future, but CM batteries are better and cheaper than current Li batteries, and they would appear to be better than the current state of play of SS batteries. I am so tired of Toyota fan boys bashing on about Toyota's latest press release that I've stopped being particularly interested in SS batteries, and for that I apologise if you think that I've been a bit short. But currently CM batteries lead on energy density as well as cost. As and when SS batteries actually come on stream and outperform others, I'll get excited

[@TheNorville2]

Lotus all day long and i cannot wait for my test drive.

[@asinglemaleinuk]

If i win the Lottery - I’m buying one - and one each for all my friends 👍

[@savannahjackson8513]

The Evija was Lotus’s first fully electric car... not this one.

[@Roberto-uk3ml]

Don't be so rude 😂

[@savannahjackson8513]

@@Roberto-uk3ml Oohh… did widdle diddums get offended?? Poor wittle fella. 😂😂

[@_Ben4810]

Lotus's first electric vehicle was the Sinclair C5 that Lotus Engineering (& Ayrton Senna...) worked on...

[@savannahjackson8513]

@@_Ben4810 Lotus did the chassis… and it wasn’t a car… so, no, not relevant.

[@Cur8or88]

The spy that loveD me. Completely different meaning.

[@alunjones2550]

And you clean those cup-holders, how?

[@alanwayte432]

Ultimate first world problem

[@EliotHochberg]

Looking at the gear controls, it looks like even Lotus has been subject to these systems that do not retain gear state. I’m halfway through the video, but I would’ve thought that would’ve been demonstrated earlier. But it looks like it’s one of those buttons where you push it up to changed and you push it down to change, etc. If I’m wrong, then great, but I really don’t understand why all these vehicles insist on having Shift systems that don’t allow you to put the button or a lever or something else into a fixed position for each gear. It doesn’t need to be mechanically connected, but by having to look at what gear you’re in, you open yourself up for accidentally missing a gear change. That is to say, And driving where you are in a parking lot or other situation, where you’re changing direction from forward to reverse, I would much prefer that the lever is in the Ford position while we’re driving, and then, when I switch to the rear word position, that’s in reverse, so that I can make adjustments and tight maneuvers without having to look at the screen or at the Lover.

[@shonunezekiel]

There are only 3 gear states - forward (drive), neutral, reverse... (see 6:56 ) ... you know when you are moving forward that you are in forward/drive, and when you are moving backward that you are in reverse... I know what you mean about the gear switch staying in that position, but you do get used to it very quickly (as well as the fact the car is moving forward/backward, there are other indications like the reversing camera being on when you are in reverse, and probably something on the dash, and maybe a noise).

[@EliotHochberg]

@@shonunezekiel Please don't use this argument to defend these lazy interfaces. Glad that you get what I'm saying, but I have tried several different brands of "modern" shift by wire systems, and they are all insufficient. Most of them don't give any positive audible or physical response. They simply turn on a light or change a letter in the dash. This isn't sufficient. I have a Fiat 500e, and while I like the car, I can't tell you how often I think I've fully depressed the button, only to discover that it didn't register. In cruising or stop and go, this is no issue. But if you are in a car park or parking on the street, something you have to do at least twice every time you drive, there is a very real danger of not being in the gear you think you are, and no being in park when you think you are. Here in L.A., there is at least a 25-50% chance that on top of that, you have other vehicles waiting either to take the space you're leaving, wait for you to finish parallel park, or wait for you to pull into a parking space. Previously, I could do these maneuvers without so much as a glance to the gauge cluster or shift mechanism, I could do it all by feel. Did anyone ask for this detail to be removed? Were people clamoring for this procedure to take a few seconds longer, or to be less reliable? Not that I'm aware of. The only reason I can fathom for this change that I've found over the years has been automakers wanting to save money. And look, I get not wanting a giant lever in an EV (or any other vehicle that is now drive by wire), but is it so much of a demand for these controls not to return to the center after you've made a selection? A car is not a smartphone. There are (admittedly rare) situations where making these issues slightly and unnecessarily less intuitive could actually cause harm to either the vehicle, property, or people. It doesn't seem like a big ask. I'm just disappointed that a marque like Lotus, which is presumably a driver's car marque, wouldn't have attended to this detail.

[@EliotHochberg]

Also, while some camera reverse systems provide valuable assistance in avoiding obstacles and people, I am one of those drivers who has actually learned how to properly drive in reverse. Not having a proper view out of the back of the car is not solved by reverse cameras. This is especially true if you drive a rental car, since it takes longer to get used to the particular geometry of the camera versus trying to drive backwards while looking forwards. Given how many new cars basically have no rearward view, it's the least a car maker can do to provide the camera. But it is no replacement for actually being about to see through the window behind you. And heaven forbid that camera goes down.

[@ecuadorianme]

Having spring return controls allows for it to go into a default state automatically after shutting down the vehicle.

[@EliotHochberg]

Fair enough, but I hold that having the controls maintain state is more important than resetting to default when the vehicle turns off. If manufacturers are worried about cars rolling away when stopped, that can happen just as easily outside of the shifter. What's more, with a simple actuated latch and spring, I could have what I want and OEMs can solve that issue as well.@@ecuadorianme

[@shawnlister2730]

This car might be the 2003 Cayenne of Porsche for Lotus. I sure hope it is.

[@ChannelNEM]

Reminds me of the MG4

[@Roberto-uk3ml]

Alejandro Pérez would agree😂

[@AdrianMcDaid]

Yes. Both made in China

[@mrboodi]

Didn't know grumpy old man from UP had a sense of humour. Great review tho

[@YangJi888]

OMG this guy is freakishly tall, he must be 2meter high, eletre looks like a toy car next to him. I saw eletre in person, the car is humongous.

[@Pottery4Life]

Letting you know in the comments below.

[@kennethstealey1311]

I think that it looks a lot like a Leaf from the side.

[@sazingayerampa]

This is a lovely car but I would go for the iX I'm surprised of how beautiful it looks in person and that there is surprisingly loads of iX's in South Africa

[@markrichards9792]

Only a brit would think that is the opposite of a snall sports car. Have tou ween the hummer? Or any pickup in the US??

[@lindseyhatfield9017]

From the side I thought this was the MG4

[@jsouto77]

The elephant in the room is that we dont get this here first since its no longer a british brand like a few others.

[@morganangel340]

there are no british brands anymore... either German, or Indian, or Chinese...

[@geoffreytang6827]

Lotus is belong to a Chinese campany now called 吉利,right?

[@andrei23]

Man's got some nails

[@usaverageguy]

I am happy another car maker is producing EVs. But, this another overpriced toy for the rich. We need EVs the size and power of a Focus, Beetle, or a Trax.

[@_Ben4810]

That's coming soon in the new Lotus Cars range...It will be based on the Zeekr X platform...

[@jonwragg3822]

So the impression given in the video is that this car is somehow connected to the original Lotus company in East Anglia. This is a Chinese car with a Lotus badge, designed in the UK at Geely’s design studios but produced in Wuhan. It bears no resemblance or underpinning with any previous Lotus. Geely = Volvo, Polestar, Smart among others, but the Lotus brand is also part owned by a Malaysian company. Not saying that this is not a fantastic looking car with typical excellent Chinese build quality, but like a lot of the new models coming out, is way too expensive and wow is it heavy.

[@haoruchen4216]

isn't it wonderful? lotus badge preserved, while a new high of global scale collaboration is possible with producing this object of desires, onto an ev with the new imaginations of luxury life style and sports car suvs.

[@noelgibson5956]

My chidar was buzzing loudly the minute I saw it. It's discussing that we willingly buy vehicles built by cheap or slave labour, in a country that commits genocide, harvests organs, and is run by mobsters. It's built in a factory with less environmental regulations than if it was produced in the UK, and quite frankly that invalidates it's environmental credentials. I'd like to introduce it to my middle finger. No thanks.

[@_Ben4810]

Lotus has always done badge-engineered cars, it's part of their heritage...This follows in the wheel tracks of the Cortina's, Sunbeam & Carlton/Omega models... It's just based on a platform from a manufacturer within the Geely group 99.9% of people have never heard of, so might as well fully badge it a Lotus.

[@robinsonshawqx]

@@noelgibson5956 lecturing people about modern mass-produced industrial products is kinda funny.

[@alistairkittow3648]

Lotus would no longer be with us if it hadn't been rescued by Geely, like a lot of brands IE Porsche, Lotus needed to build a SUV to make some money, with out it they can not design any more sports cars

[@oldchurchst]

Surprised by the love for this Chinese built car…

[@petersimms4982]

The lotus badge looks tacky though 😮

[@WinkelHoof]

Nice car but why so long fingernails?

[@petersimms4982]

Thought Britain couldn’t build cars anymore 😮

[@ohyesitsme]

They don't it's Chinese (Geely)

[@petersimms4982]

@@ohyesitsme oh yehhhhhh! It’s the zeeker at three times the price? Maybe? Probably! 🤫

[@Nickbaldeagle02]

We can't.

[@petersimms4982]

@@Nickbaldeagle02 soooo true, or build railroads 🥱

[@treborheminway3814]

Overall decent review, but I thought I heard this was made in China by Geely. Is that the case? Was this mentioned? Seems a very strange omission. Isn't that the real elephant in the room? It does look nice though. The plain lotus badge on the front doesn't fit the rest of the car. Maybe the Geely badge looks nicer...The KEF stereo is getting rave reviews.

[@vitolu6727]

So? MG is also Chinese, Tesla Model 3/y sold in Europe is either made in China or made in Berlin but with Chinese batteries. China has absolute leadership in the EV industry similar to PV, no company can produce affordable EVs out of the Chinese supply chain. The Chinese price of VW ID4 is a third of the German price, and the cost of importing a Chinese made ID4 for sale in Germany is still lower than a German made. If Lotus produced this car in the UK it would sell for as much as the Urus. Be realistic.

[@treborheminway3814]

@@vitolu6727 my point, which you completely missed, but I'll bet doesn't matter to you, is that in a review of the lotus car, the who, when and where of the cars creation is misrepresented. One is left to assume it's made by Lotus. And where has lotus always made it's cars? So why not include who makes it in a review..it's a big part of the company now. Fwiw: Tesla doesn't hide the fact that their best model 3&y are made in China.

[@swordscot]

Every time a new MG is reviewed, the first thing we are told is that it is a Chinese car. Not this Lotus for some reason

[@michaelwensauer5796]

Very expensive , unique design language, very advanced technology - but i am not convinced about the fact, that this is a real Lotus. This is now a chinese brand and has only minor connections to its British roots

[@petersimms4982]

Maybe this vehicle will be re badged as a Jaguar??? 🤭

[@willienelsongonzalez4609]

I’m not persuaded by this E-SUV offering from Lotus. Yeah, some attention to aerodynamics, air suspension (which is infamous for breaking and expensive to fix or replace), and Lotus isn’t really known for the quality of their builds. There are better E-SUVs on the market that offer better quality, performance, range, storage and better build quality.

[@phuketexplorer]

It has 100% Chinese running gear, not even mentioned in the video, so should be mechanically reliable, even if if does fall apart on the daily school run. 😄

[@asinglemaleinuk]

How is your German Porsche basement Adolf ? 🇬🇧👍

[@gunnarliljas8459]

Nice photography. Not a fan of the car. I wish they would have only offered it in fun colours, like the yellow one. The grey one looks boring.

[@FFVoyager]

They do a yellow one.

[@shia_labeouf]

Spy who "loves" me? It's your first thought about Lotus but you can't even remember the title right? And nor can the crew or editor? STOP GETTING BOND WRONG!

[@markosullivan6444]

Colin Chapman: "Simplify then add lightness". Lotus 2023: Eletre - 2.5 tonnes, 2.2 metre width. That is not a Lotus in my opinion; I suspect Chapman would agree.

[@Neojhun]

Because it's not meant to "be a lotus". You need product range divesity.

[@helipeek2736]

@@Neojhunno you don’t!

[@shroomyesc]

@@helipeek2736 Okay, then you go bankrupt.

[@_Ben4810]

Colin Chapman "Why do I need all the problems & cashflow worries of manufacturing in the UK when I can build more profitably & competitively in China..?" You didn't know Colin Chapman mate, he was a ruthless & forever looking-for-the-next advantage businessman & would have loved everything about the Eletre.

[@petergahan9076]

A Lotus is a small, low, nimble sports car. Think Elan, Elise, even Elite and Esprit. This is a tank. This is any other SUV masquerading as a Lotus. Colin Chapman would be turning in his grave. Very sad.

[@TRX25EX]

Yeah the Lotus you talking about sold less than 5000 cars a year..... The new Lotus want 10-100 times that

[@puttajay]

You just explained how to go bankrupt as a manufacturer in the modern age Also the emira has such bad quality problems as its still being made in Britain by the same people who badly made all the lotuses of the last 50 years or so So yeah how dare they make a well made solid luxury car so they can make new crazy lotus like lotus sports cars in the future….

[@helipeek2736]

100% Lotus are the epitome of “men in sheds”. They should take a leaf out of Morgan’s book and stay true to their founder’s principals. The one thing the world doesn’t need is ANOTHER bland tank to take the kids the 500 yards to school.

[@shroomyesc]

I wouldn't characterize the Esprit as particularly small given it's the size and weight of a modern supercar.

[@_Ben4810]

So an upmarket vehicle that takes Lotus Cars into new global markets & customer bases, manufactured to a fixed price in an overseas factory using cheap local workers, no worries about UK labour staffing or unions, no Hethel mega cashflow problems on tooling up & production costs... Just remind us again which part the ruthless businessman Colin Chapman wouldn't like about the Eletre...?!?

[@petersimms4982]

🤞🏼hope it as reliable as my 3yr old, 40000 miles , only had to fill my washer bottle up , Tesla mod 3 😊😊😊

[@bill_heywood]

Let's be honest, making lightweight sports cars has not made Lotus a successful business. If selling SUVs to make a profit is good enough for Porsche and let's them continue making sports cars, then why shouldn't Louts?

[@anthonyworley2891]

Well presented video a good balance between the usability and the driving experience’s. I understand that Geely want to make a return on their huge investment by building a SUV to make money but the Lotus brand deserves a car built and developed in the UK not in China and Germany. We all hope that the profits will enable Lotus to continue to build and develop cars at Hethel. The Emira shows that it can be done but the next one will have to be electric so it going to need some batteries built in the UK. Please let someone in government help to facilitate the necessary investment for this to happen now not years into the future when it will be too late for UK manufacturing.

[@_Ben4810]

To set up & produce the Eletre in the UK would cost minimum £500-£750 million in start-up costs alone... Land, factory, tooling, staff, training, procurement, inventory, after sales, parts... You only have to look at the lifeline Ineos received from Mercedes in basically being gifted the fully functioning old Smart car factory for their Grenadier production & the hundreds of millions of £££'s they have saved in start up costs...

[@anthonyworley2891]

@@_Ben4810 Yes I understand your point but do not understand why this seems impossible to do in the UK. Investment must be made or we will just become a service provider and all the talent in engineering that we have will be lost.

[@phuketexplorer]

Looks like it's already been in the scrap yard crusher!

[@tobybushnell]

Make a light electric sports car or just let the Lotus brand die with dignity, please

[@nisadave]

And it will be worth next to nowt after 12 months.

[@AdrianMcDaid]

Great. I'll buy it then 😊

[@simonyapp]

112kWh !! And LiDAR is not the way, What a car.

[@Bboy235]

You need to cut those fingernails 😂

[@karlpeart1752]

The wheels look crap

[@dhulon09]

LOTUS Never had a car for everyone, it was too small and not reliable. HOWEVER IT makes great fun,semi super sport cars. Lets hope CHINA Can help LOTUS BECOME A SUPER CAR CO. Only thing is need a ELECTRE FOR 55K. NOT 1OOK++

[@tommytinkler1708]

Looks like a Nissan Duke.

[@michaelprovence]

I hope that nobody buy this ugly monster 😅🤮

[@fvvf9569]

I bet u can't afford the first payment 🤪

[@FFVoyager]

I think that about every SUV.

[@gglen2141]

Luddites !! The lot o' ye. You should appreciate the engineering challenge of the car versus moaning like an old haüsfrau about the loss of 'purity' and soiling of the 'pedigree.'

[@GrrMeister]

*Not worth a Carrot in less than 8 Years !*

[@mikebedford4362]

Ridiculously high price for another Chinese EV

[@fvvf9569]

R u not satisfied with ur iPhone in ur hand?🤣

[@mikebedford4362]

@@fvvf9569 they say a person can be judged by their humour. Expect a knock on the door shortly 🤣

[@haoruchen4216]

I knew sour grapes will turn up....

[@mikebedford4362]

@@haoruchen4216 why sour grapes? It’s way more expensive than anything else on the market and looks similar to the Kia? It’s a valid point made.

[@centralkingdom8141]

You need to face the reality in the 21st century Chinese products are very high tech these days.

[@_Ben4810]

This is a cliche-full, yawnfest & factually incorrect review...A difficult watch...💤💤💤💤💤

[@helipeek2736]

You’re correct your not “ driving some bland German SUV with a Lotus badge” you’re driving a bland CHINESE SUV with a Lotus badge. Lotus should be ashamed they’ve sold out ACBC’s principals so hard. The one thing we really don’t need is another leviathan of a soft roader so Mommy can take Tarquin and Jemima the 500 yards down the road to school.

[@fvvf9569]

If you are the boss of Lotus, do u prefer to sell it for some cash ? or just let it go bankrupt and let 500-1000 families without an income and live on food banks

[@benjaminsmith2287]

It's not a Chinese car. Just because the company that owns Lotus is Chinese doesn't make the people responsible for the content and character of this car Chinese.

[@_Ben4810]

ACBC's principals...?!? 😆😆😆 The only reasons he added lightness were to gain advantage on race cars & the forever cash-strapped Group Lotus simply could not afford to add anything else on their road cars...

[@davidb9976]

Poor man’s Urus

[@rogerking7258]

Sports car? Did you actually call it a sports car? There is zero excuse for a vehicle to weigh nearly 2.5 tons. Yes, batteries are heavy, but there's no engine, gearbox, fuel system, exhaust, etc. Perhaps sports lorry would be a better description. An obscenity to appeal to those who have no understanding of what Lotus is about. No doubt they'll sell loads to poseurs who know nothing about cars.

[@nickiddenden1508]

Why, why, why.... can't the EV designers (from almost every company) stop being sheep and start integrating the digital screen into a nicely sculpted dash? The separated tablet style has been done to death, looks rubbish and has always looked like an afterthought mounted using a magnetic holder in the air vent. I have never understood why they have been deemed safe anyway, especially the larger ones like these.

[@ohyesitsme]

I know it's subjective but I think it looks crap. When will EV designers realise that building massive SUV's is not good for the environment (due to weight more tyre dust pollution) especially congestion in cities. Another Chinese (Geely) EV that we really don't need. Caterham are showing Lotus how to design an EV.

[@StevenHaggis]

That's got to be the worst car review ever! So boring!

[@GrrMeister]

*Can you afford it Mr Bond > Only if Ms Moneypenny Chips in 90% !*

[@alferro3149]

Chinese branding gone wrong!

[@rikaus9273]

🤮🤮🤮🤮 I'd rather drive around in a Dacia

[@alanwayte432]

Let’s be honest it’s all you could afford

[@rikaus9273]

If we're being honest I ride bikes 🤷😂 🏍️🏍️

[@fvvf9569]

Most ppl can't afford nice cars prefer riding a bus

[@alferro3149]

Chinese design for a Chinese car

[@dser3474]

吉利集团

[@alferro3149]

If you loved other human beings you would not design an SUV.

[@mytbeats]

Why would we take serious a man trying to look 20 years younger???

[@Electrifyingcom]

20? I was aiming for 30. Mike

[@nwatson4022]

Yet another overpriced overpowered SUV. How tedious 🥱