@@1991pony I absolutely loathe what is happening to automotive industry right now... not only we got increasingly detached and worse feeling cars and manual transmissions killed off in every single super car brand and then spreading lower across sports car segments, it's so bad that R35 GT-R which was already an excessive computer on wheels in 2007 is considered "analogue" just because everything else have gotten so awful and bland. Seeing Lotus make something like this is just ridiculous insult to injury...
It was either this or dying. They didnt half-assed is, seems like a legit, well thought out vehicle. If it helps them to continue making their usual sports cars, more power to them.
Yeah, but in the end it is a Chinese car, once it breaks you just scrap the whole thing and buy another one, nothing in those cars is meant to be replaced or refurbished. BTW you are an internet legend!!! It’s so cool seeing you here
@@conner5631 It would be very uncomfortable if the slider got stuck on “transparent” and you were driving though Arizona in July. I doubt the Air Conditioning could win that.
I bought my first Lotus Esprit (the S4s, which is the Sport 300 for the U.S. market) in 1996, new, from Boardwalk Lotus in California. And have bought several other Lotus models new, from various Lotus dealers, since then. Once they stop making non-electric cars in 2027, I will never buy another Lotus. If they intended to eliminate interest in Lotus among the legacy customer base, they have done so. Very sad times.
@purwantiallan5089 I've heard that, and you're probably right. It's the elimination of a massive customer population who will increase demand for Ferrari, etc. Toyota has a hybrid that charges its own battery, it does not need to be connected to any charger, not even a wall plug. That is a legitimate model for cars. Here in the U.S., Hertz (one of the largest car rental companies) got rid of all their electric cars because no one would rent them, choosing gasoline cars instead. And U.S. car dealers cannot sell electric vehicles either. Maybe car buyers in the UK are different? Not sure.
@@kamsunleong6648 People can dislike a thing without being envious of it, man. When the Lotus mantra has been 'simplify, then add lightness' for decades and decades, and then this comes out, completely devoid of that Lotus philosophy, it's going to get a bad reaction.
Nruh. If the Chinese did not come in and change their Chapman philosophy, they would have joined their founder in the grave. It's a business and it needs to make money. Period.
He's gone and forgotten. The auto industry has moved on. Without the Chinese money, the brand would have followed its founder to the grave. So be realistically not dream of the by gone days.
In short....the Chinese didn't buy the Lotus company; they bought the Lotus brand and transferred it to their own company to slap it on their Chinese cars.
@@aemnipotent8514 i beleive you may need to re-read this comment... Doug is a wonderful presenter, I think we can all agree, WE lOVE HIM. That being said, his comment is a double positive. "You can see through it" and "or weather its totally clear" are the same thing. lol
Lotus isn't developing an advanced ADAS system. The plan is to use Volvo's upcoming Level 3 "Ride Pilot" system if Volvo is able to launch in the EX90 as planned.
I can tell you for sure that if you live in let's say the U.K. with a very rainy weather or in the South of Spain which in summer is hot as hell, those flimsy looking flaps with whatever it is the mechanism which moves them, as you say would disintegrate within seconds. They won't buy it in Alaska or Oregon LOL
As much as I hate it, I can't say it doesn't make sense in today's market. But it certainly hurts seeing yet another performance brand go down this path.
I agree but Porsche started it with the Macan which outsells all Porsche models combined and it ain't even close. After that you saw the Urus that outsell all other Lamobos and its not going to stop. I do not think we will ever see Hyper car brands do this lol
There are two USB-C ports in the back, on the front edge of the middle seat bottom in the 5-seater. In doubt, perhaps read the manual... It takes seconds to find it online.
@@gamesguy ad hominem. The argument that you’re not allowed to be upset at a non suv company for making an suv because the company you purchased from makes suvs is dumb.
The only thing that’s good about the car. But considering it’s Made In China 🇨🇳… the paint will fall apart after 15 months just like everything else the Chinese make. 😂😂
@@jasonknight5863 , you realize that most of the stuff you buy is made in China, right? China is just as capable of manufacturing quality products as they are cheap dollar store crap.
I think it's like the original Cayenne, people think that Lotus is sold out. But you need an SUV if you want to keep making the sporty lightweight coupes that most people love and want, those projects will need a more financially secure brand.
That's an apt comparison. The Cayenne may have caught flack for Porsche 'selling-out' but what I'll never understand is how it never took heat for being just another badge car. Even in this video, Doug slams the Urus for sole reason of just being an Audi, while calling the Cayenne good. The Urus is an much an VAG parts bin, as the the Cayenne. That Porsche badge really does infect peoples brains I guess.
It really isn’t a mystery why the two-door sports car is dying. I think most people figure if I’m going to pay big bucks for a car it has better be able to load up my kids and gear. Even for upper middle class affluent people the idea of buying a car that’s just a toy and nothing else seems silly these days. If you think about it, this $100,000 Lotus costs the same as buying a reasonably equipped RAV4 Prime and two door sports coupe like a BMW M2. But why do that when you can get a performance SUV that does double duty?
This is not any SUV. SUV means sports utility vehicle for people living a sporting life that take the car offroad. This is a tall vehicle with a coupified shape that isn't even that tall. It's a crossover at best. Most of the vehicles called SUVs are crossovers. or they're very tall wagons or 4-door hatches.
@@95mushroomdont know, maybe they he thinks the Urus should have been more special than Porsche, that would make sense. As far as gen 1 Touareg, its a great car and the Cayenne in higher trims was something different enough to be unique at the time, among any brand.
Maybe they fixed it, but when Harry‘s garage reviewed it in the UK recently he found out it didn’t have a battery heater, which is a pretty major omission, and it meant that the range was reduced when the temperature dropped.
@@cayboy420 it has a battery heater and heat pump just hadn't been enabled In software yet The control system was over-senseative and kept giving errors
Yes, this is the complete opposite of the Lotus we love. But much like how the Cayenne saved Porsche, Lotus needs a car more people will buy and live with.
@@edwardvalivonis23 the original cayenne and boxster most definitely saved porsche from bankruptcy. they even went to toyota to figure out how to streamline their production process as they were essentially bleeding money in the early to mid 90s. this is also why they lent their engineering skills to audi and mercedes for the rs2 and 500e.
@@Only_Ameen04with so many manufacturers announcing they're rethinking their EV strategy and re-investing in ICE, it's possible Lotus will pivot and retain ICE for a while longer. Potentially the Emira will get built for a while if that's where the global winds are blowing, despite the original comment that they'd discontinue the Emira when Lotus releases an electric sports car. With the AMG deal in place for the Emira, and AMG themselves stating that they're looking at reintroducing V8s into the lineup, it's possible Lotus could make V6 and V8 SUVs with powerplants from AMG. If anything I'm surprised the Emira got an AMG 4 cylinder rather than Volvo's.
I think most of you making comments did ever try this car seriously. It handles better than any ev in the market, it is impressively top quality finishing in any details. I perfectly understand this is not a lotus in the proper heritage but it is for sure the best suv in its class beating for sure Cayenne,Urus Q8 ( all the same chassis ) and taking the spot to Ferrari Purosangue with 1/4 of the price. But changes are never been accepted easily . I drive BMW IX , and Ferrari daily by the way. That’s way I am so impressed by Eletre.
All those cars you mentioned have brand cachet with the general public. Lotus does not. Enthusiast like Lotus and this is the most un-Lotus vehicle possible.
They killed the Evora GT which in my opinion was one of the best small sports cars avaliable at the time and are now making stuff like this and the Emeya. I really don't like when people say true car culture is dying and becoming soulless because I feel like it's an ignorant take but slowly I am starting to see what they mean, and it's very very sad.
Really odd possible case of parts sharing here: I believe that center armrest is almost the exact part, style on the sides, the pull out cup holder and everything, that my Volvo v90 has....
There's a lot to like in this car, but if you watch the Harry's Garage review you'll see that the actual range is way shorter than what Lotus claims. It's its main weakness, specially considering the high price.
I dont understand why everyone hates it so much. Its just an effort to keep the brand alive. If this sells well we can at least expect more cars like the Emira.
@@gemaskerdebeuker8511 I guess I'm still holding out for a pivot on the complete electrification of automobiles, given the issues and limitations of battery-powered cars - or at least some stopping point where there is a delineation between battery and ICE-powered vehicles - like right now when people have a choice that isn't "motivated" by governments and that does not end up completely phasing out the internal combustion engine. Then again, I kept buying record albums even after my local record store converted all their vinyl inventory to CD's - lol
@@gemaskerdebeuker8511 Right. And European transportation is nothing at all like ours. Much kite reliant on public transport, in large part because they don’t need longer range vehicles like we do in this bast country. Im still holding out hope for the duration of the ICE. I mean, just look how much mileage carmakers can squeeze out of basically the same contraption that’s been powering vehicles for over a century! I do plan to keep one or even two “2 time” vehicles and have told my son to do it unless or until gasoline just isn’t readily available any more. What a stodgy old coot Ive become 😆
It’s really fine as long as you ignore the badge. If anything, the badge hurts this car. Not because “lotuses are supposed to be small, lightweight sports cars,” but because Lotus isn’t known for quality, reliability, dealerships, or service centers. By putting a Lotus badge on this otherwise compelling EV SUV, I immediately think, “okay, I’ll be fucked as soon as something breaks or goes wrong, and it will go wrong.” Even brand new brands like Lucid, Polestar, etc. already have dealerships 30 min away from me. Lotus has never seemed to figure this out in America.
"Other Lotus cars whose name starts with E, like the Elise, Evora, Esprit, Etcetera, Etcetera" (1:19) It's good you listed both versions of the Lotus Etcetera; clearly the 1950s version and 1970s version were substantially different cars.
@@RichardJones-et5we The market is still there for lightweight and focused experience sports cars. Brands just realized greed is more convenient than passion and lower roi.
I'm surprised didn't mention the styling except for 5 seconds towards the end, this is a seriously good looking SUV, especially from the side profile which was videos a few times here! I think the styling will really help propel the cars sales, at least I hope so!
Hi Doug, there are actually 2 x USB-C charge ports in the rear seating area - these are located in the middle seat just below the seating cushion. It's hard to spot but they are definitely there.
@@p.informatico1320 It's a Chinese electric car. Designed by lotus? Look at it. It's a Chinese electric car. If lotus paid for any of the design process it's not visible in the end product... which looks like a Chinese electric car. (to clarify: the design is fine- just has naught to do with lotus.)
Great content, I drove the Eletre S and R models in Thailand. I found the controls over complicated, but what kills this vehicle for me was it's the limited range.
I use a Lotus Eletre for Uber in London in the UK. I only do Exec and Lux work for VIP’s and celebrities. They are always very impressed with the comfort, space, build quality, and styling of the car😁😁
@@bwofficial1776 various national industries throughout the world have developed and learned from others. That's called learning, not stealing. Stupid anti-China rhetoric.
Usually when Doug touches high-quality materials made out of metal he mentioned that they are nice to touch, (for example, the latch 19:23) but he didn’t do that in this video the reason I mentioned this is because I am really surprised with this cars quality especially when it’s made in China lol. I know Lotus made the car out of the box and it’s not they it used to be, but if I was going to choose an electric SUV, it would definitely be this car.
There was a day when Porsche began selling SUV’s and sedans. This enabled the company to be profitable and bring sublime cars like the GT3 to market. It’s easy to be skeptical of a Lotus SUV, especially an electric one (especially one that is Chinese built.) I do this car will die or live based on its own merits and pricing structure. My wish is for it to succeed and for Lotus to remember it’s past well enough to build a lightweight (electric) sports car in the future, perhaps developed and built in Great Britain.
You can’t blame lotus, this is a car that is likely just to keep lotus alive. Like if people remember the Porsche Cayenne, no one like that, yet it saved Porsche
I don't understand why people would have a problem with this. If this is what brands need to do to survive, they still have other more Lotus like models, whereas, if they don't survive, there won't be the other Lotus models.
I had an Eletre R. We were very impressed with it, particularly how it handles for a BEV SUV. We weren't so impressed though that most of the cars functions were not opperational on delivery(may be fixed now with over air updates). Unfortunately it had a brake down within the first 500 miles of delivery. Given its a new to market car we expected teathing issues, but we ultimately returned the car to Lotus due to their appalling customer service.
Aaaaand there is that Chinese high quality. They can hide it behind seemingly very good initial build quality but eventually the issues will leak through them and the longevity of the car (or lack thereof) becomes clear.
@@2AMinLosAngeles Fair enough but British brands are subject to liability should a product of poor build quality or poor design prove dangerous or fatal whether in the US or the EU. And if they try to deny or hide it, it can prove disastrous for the brands reputation should it cause an uproar. Good luck holding the Chinese accountable for anything. At best they may be forced to fix their products but they certainly won't pay damages to their customers when their companies are state-owned and above Chinese law and even WTO law at times. Welcome to the new world we chose to live in.
They are owned by ZGH, Geely Holding. This isn't Geely Auto. Like VW Group, it's part of the group but they have their own teams of people that create their cars in the Lotus tradition while sensibly cutting cost by using some group components. Yet some components and especially suspension tuning is unique to Lotus.
For the clarity This car literally has no cheap materials at all - everything you touch is alcantara, carbon, real metal, nappa leather Another huge thing is its infotainment, if you notices it doesn’t lag and provides at least 60Hz smooth image on a 3k display. German, British, Italian carmakers still to this day can’t do a decent system that wouldn’t lag Also the built quality, if you have a chance of sitting in one, just try to pull or push interior details to test the build quality, you will be amazed. And then look at the latest Mercedes and Audi models, the interior quality has really went down recently And if you consider these and other things Doug surprisingly didn’t pay enough attention to, you can easily realize the price is not even that high Model X plaid is like an empty can compared to this, but the price is almost the same So this particular review was a very weak one by Doug
I think these sports car manufacturers are getting it wrong by building swoopy/sporty SUVs. I'd love to see these companies (Ferarri, Lotus, Lambo, etc) come out with an LM002 type of SUV, something big and made for off road, makes a statement like a Land Rover or an Escalade but with more exotic styling and has a supercar engine in it. I can keep dreaming, but I think something like that would be way more appealing than just another swoopy SUV.
Doug, I believe that someone's already asked this question, or stated this point: Wouldn't it be better if, instead of filming your face for 5 minutes straight - from 25:44 to 30:41 - you film the cabin view using a camera positioned slighlty behind of the front seats, like in the middle? It would give us an interesting view of the car when moving. Your video is complete, being this the only part I miss when watching it.
If we're not supposed to look at this as a Lotus, then the premium price tag also isn't justifiable. Sure, a Cayanne Turbo GT is about $50k more, but it's also 500 pounds lighter, a well-established model that's reliable, has a large dealer network, is styled more like a premium SUV, is more family friendly, and has physical buttons. This looks remarkably similar to the Kia EV 6, which means we should actually compare it to cars like the Ioniq 5 N. In which case, you can get an EV with virtually the same 0-60, similar handling, and an engine sound for 30-100k less (and looks better and weighs much less). It's very hard to see who will buy this.
Just because it is owned by Geely doesnt mean that it was designed or worked on by Chinese. It's an English car funded by the Chinese which uses a very modified version of a platform provided by Geely that was actually engineered by a Swede. This car is not from a Chinese manufacturer. It is from an English manufacturer with a Chinese parent company. A Chinese car, like a Geely Galaxy, is quite different in details,.
@@subieasunayuuki Geely doesn't exercise control over their acquired brands. Those brand operate under the Geely Group umbrella and may have a budget, but the decisions made are by people in the brands, not made by Geely.
@@benjaminsmith2287 "that was actually engineered by a Swede" - According to open sources (Wikipedia), the designer/creator of the Eletre Hyper-SUV is Ben Payne. Doesn't it seem like a bit of a strange name for a Swede?! 😜
I believe this sets a new record for Doug checking the mirrors to make sure his possible speeding transgressions went unnoticed by the local constabulary…….
My first impression was, "This is one of those fancy-designed Chinese EVs." I was right. All the convenience functions and futures are valuable, but with a stiff ride and price for a Chinese EV, I would go for Lucid Air.
I like the fact someone is trying to push on the ev side performance tech & luxury, not many are doing it. Wish would have talked about the crazy audio system I hear is an option for this. I like it a lot just a few things have gripes about, they keep delaying it and not bringing it around to more shows to get feedback and do something about it. The high end model performance wise feel like its good just not beating the plaid and few others. So for this price should keep up with a plaid.
The Cayenne has an EV version, well a PHEV, a 2.0 petrol + 50-70km EV range. And its made in China like this thing here. A family member has one, and I recently drove it 2000 km, first 700-800 did 5.8L/100, which is impressive, then the juice in the battery ran out and the rest of the trip did about 8.1L/100. Compare that to an Audi A6, I usually use for long trips, 10.5L/100, or A8L 12-15L/100 (it has a great sound in Sport mode, and I floor it a bit more often, and getting 15+L/100 on most trips)
Doug big fan here. I have been watching your videos for years. Keep up the good work. However I have a question about this SUV. What are the two lights in the middle right above the driver's instrument panel?
I can literally hear those triangle flaps breaking right now, also "future proofing" an electric car is not a selling point "Hey pay for this now, and we'll give it to you later....we promise"
Lotus used the black badge in 1968 when racing driver Jim Clark was killed. It's made reappearances since then. Either this is to commemorate the death of the simple and light Lotus ethos or it just looks cooler than the yellow and green.
Not understanding all the hate for Lotus as a brand to develop a cutting edge performance EV SUV. In fact, I believe it fits with Colin Chapmans Lotus. He always believed in innovation and trying new ways of propulsion in Formula 1. (Turbine powered F1 Car from Lotus? Look it up) He kept innovating to keep winning. Lotus needed to innovate to stay alive, and this EV SUV competes with Ferrari, Porsche and Lambo in terms of performance, design, material quality and priced the same as a Tesla Model X. (or 1/3 of the other European exotics) Lotus still develops and builds lightweight sports cars in the UK i.e. - Emira. Yes, simply and add lightness is something Colin Chapman strived for - but times have changed. Every automotive brand has made changes to align with current customer demands, emissions restrictions, crash safety requirements etc. The regulators are basically making it impossible to simplify anything in the automotive world. This weights almost the same as a Porsche Tacan Turbo... but much larger and more utility.
As someone who's never really been into Lotus much...I kinda like this thing. I'm not blown away, but it ain't too bad looking. However, I fully understand the Lotus diehards in their turmoil. I grew up with a '74 and '84 Blazer in the family. My dad still owns them. So you can imagine my....disgust when the new Blazer rolled out. So I do very much know what it feels like, to hate the name of something you used to love. I feel for you guys. Here's to hoping the Chinese company doesn't totally screw Lotus up.
According to lotus it does have 4 USB c ports in the interior. 2 front and 2 in the back. They may be in the rear armrest. There is also an option with an upgraded rear armrest that has cup holders like the front and a screen.
For everyone crying about Lotus making an electric SUV, please remember that we wouldn't have Porsche anymore had we not been cursed with the first Cayenne. We're lucky Lotus was able to give us the Emira and this existing doesn't take anything away, you can still buy an Emira if you want. But you most likely won't.
As someone who lives in Norfolk, UK, the home of Lotus. I've already seen multiple of these driving about. Whereas seeing Lotus sports cars is still a fairly rare occurrence. It is unfortunate that they have to stoop to this to make sales, but it's clearly working and will only mean for more money investment into better sports cars in the long run!
It's the same sort of vaporware that Musk has been pushing for years. Some form of self driving will be available, I'm guessing they'll overpromise just like pretty much everyone else.
How efficient is the Eletre in your sunny climate? They get about 2.1 miles/kWh in 12oC UK weather. (which is about 13.5mpg equivalent, with the range being 230-240)
A perfectly suitable luxury EV that also happens to spit in the face of everything people know Lotus for, and boy is there no one more nationalistic about their country's cars than the British. Hey, as long as it's making Lotus enough money to put towards the British-made cars they actually want to make, I'm all for it.
