When the Lotus Eletre dropped in 2022, some eyebrows were raised. This is a company famous for tiny, razor-sharp sports cars like the Exige and Esprit. An electric luxury SUV wasn’t what fans expected.
But the Eletre isn’t just a badge on a big EV. It’s fast, sharp, and unmistakably Lotus, proving the brand can evolve without losing its edge. Sports car makers have been jumping on the luxury SUV trend for years — Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin — and it’s kept them alive and relevant.
- Base Trim Engine
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Electric
- Base Trim Transmission
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single-speed Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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All-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
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591 hp
- Fuel Economy
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TBC
- Make
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Lotus
- Model
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Eletre
- Segment
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Midsize Luxury SUV
Porsche’s Cayenne in 2002 is the classic example. That SUV helped save the company and showed a bigger, more luxurious car could still drive like a sports car. The Eletre does the same, blending Lotus DNA with electric power and SUV practicality, and doing it with serious style.
In order to provide you with an honest and unbiased review, the vehicle reviewed in this article was driven on a daily basis throughout the course of daily life for a period of 10 days. For detailed insight into testing procedures and data collection, please review our methodology policy.
2025 Lotus Eletre First Impressions
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Pros |
Cons |
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People can’t stop talking about the Eletre’s size, and honestly, it’s hard to blame them. Lotus built its reputation on featherweight two-seaters, so dropping a 200-inch-long, 79-inch-wide luxury EV into the lineup is… quite the pivot. On paper, it’s actually bigger than a Kia EV9 or Volvo EX90, and not far off the monster-sized, eight-seat Land Rover Defender 130. To put it another way, the Eletre is playing in the same league as the Bentley Bentayga, Range Rover, and Mercedes-Benz GLS. Yes, a Lotus that’s full-on SUV big.
The Eletre may be Lotus’ first luxury SUV, but it still knows how to move like a Lotus should. Power and torque meet smart active dynamics, turning this heavyweight into something far sharper than you’d expect.
Design? Dramatic. The body is all about “porosity”—air channeled through as well as around the car. It’s not just for show either. Less drag means more range, a higher top speed, and better efficiency. Basically, it looks exotic and backs it up.
Then there are the motorsport touches. A carbon-fiber floating roof spoiler that looks like it came straight off a race car. A full-width rear LED strip that glows in four colors. And at the front, razor-thin LED clusters with scrolling indicators.
Driving Impressions And Performance
Right now, the U.S. gets just one version of the Eletre—the Eletre Carbon. Simple. Across the pond, though, things are a bit more complicated. In the UK, Lotus recently gave the lineup a shakeup. Instead of the old Eletre, Eletre S, and Eletre R, buyers now choose between the Eletre 600 and Eletre 900, each with a few trim levels to pick from.
The naming is straightforward enough: “600” and “900” are all about power output. More numbers, more punch. And it was the former that we recently tested, in Sport SE guise.
The Eletre 600 packs a serious punch. Its dual-motor setup delivers 450 kW (603 bhp) to all four wheels, and the result is classic Lotus drama in a very un-classic package. 0–62 mph takes just 4.5 seconds, and it’ll keep pulling to 160 mph. Of course, Lotus couldn’t stop there. Step up to the 900 and things get wild. With 675 kW (905 bhp) on tap, this version feels less like a family SUV and more like a supercar in disguise. The numbers back it up: 0–62 mph in just 2.95 seconds and the same 160 mph top speed.
Translating the classic Lotus driving feel into a 2.4-tonne, high-riding SUV shouldn’t work. Yet, against the odds, it does. The steering is pin-sharp and beautifully weighted, the throttle is as eager as anything wearing a Lotus badge, and the whole car feels more alive than its size suggests.
Our 600 Sport SE tester came fitted with active rear anti-roll suspension and four-wheel steering. On paper, that sounds like a lot of tech. On the road, you barely notice it working—but you do notice the effect. The Eletre changes direction with surprising agility, threading through bends without the understeer and tire scrub that trip up most big electric SUVs.
The standard air suspension is equally well-judged, working in harmony with the rest of the setup to deliver a ride that’s both comfortable and composed. But it’s not perfect, as around town, the ride can feel a bit firm, and there’s more road noise than you might expect from a luxury EV. That said, it’s a deeply impressive reminder that Lotus still knows how to build a driver’s car — even when it happens to be an SUV.
2025 Lotus Eletre 600 Sport SE Performance Specifications (UK Model)
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Powertrain |
450 kW Dual Motor + 11 kWh Battery |
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Transmission |
One-Speed Automatic |
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Horsepower |
603 BHP |
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Driveline |
All-Wheel Drive |
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0–62 MPH |
4.5 Seconds |
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Top Speed |
160 MPH |
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Range (WLTP) |
329 Miles |
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Charges to 80 Percent |
20 Minutes |
You’ve got five driving modes to mess around with: Range eases off the throttle to save battery, Sport lets both motors go full blast, and Tour sits nicely in the middle with a solid mix of comfort and performance. Personally, Tour and Sport felt like the sweet spot, while Range is great if you’re trying to milk every extra mile. There’s also an Off-Road mode if you feel like taking the Eletre off the beaten path, and an Individual mode that lets you dial in a setup that’s 100-percent your own.
2025 Lotus Eletre Efficiency
Whether you go for the Eletre 600 or the 900, you’re getting one massive battery with 109 kWh of usable juice. Official range numbers vary a lot depending on which version you pick: the 600 base model can supposedly stretch up to 373 miles, while the 600 Sport SE we tested tops out at 329 miles. Step up to the 900, and those figures drop to somewhere between 254 and 310 miles.
In real-world testing, our 600 Sport SE averaged 44.1 kWh per 100 miles—that’s about 2.27 miles per kWh. Crunching the numbers with the battery’s usable capacity, we ended up around 247 miles of actual range, quite a bit lower than the official 329-mile claim.
Interior Design And Comfort
Step inside the Eletre, and it’s clear this isn’t your typical Lotus. Comfort and space take center stage, along with a solid sound system and a quiet, rattle-free cabin. The materials alone show a big leap forward, ranging from LOTUSWEAR performance fabric to Alcantara and plush Nappa leather. Color options run from classic black to the striking Jasper red-and-black leather of our test car, or even gold if you’re feeling a bit fancy.
The seats strike a great balance between sporty and comfy, giving enough lateral support to hold you in through corners. Switch to Sport mode, and two extra side bolsters kick in to hug your torso tighter—a neat little trick. The driving position works well thanks to a power-adjustable steering column and a wide range of seat adjustments. At 5ft 8in tall, I found everything easy to reach and comfortable, though taller drivers might still wish for a bit more steering column travel.
Practical touches are everywhere. A high-set center console hides cup-holders that pop open when you press them, with a phone charging pad tucked just below the central air vent. Deep door pockets reinforce that this is a car built for day-to-day life, not just weekend thrills.
Out back, the Eletre is available in either a four- or five-seat layout. Thanks to its three-meter wheelbase and flat floor, the rear feels impressively spacious in either configuration. The seats are adjustable, giving passengers plenty of ways to get comfortable, and they offer excellent support. The center console adds extra storage and an infotainment screen, letting rear passengers tweak climate, audio, and even adjust their seat positions for maximum comfort.
It’s no shocker that the Eletre comes with the largest trunk of any Lotus, offering a roomy 24.3 cubic feet. Lift the trunk floor, and you’ll find a handy hidden compartment for cables, while up front a 1.6-cubic-foot frunk keeps things within easy reach if you prefer storing them there. Opt for the three-seat bench layout, fold down the rear seatbacks, and you can stretch the trunk space all the way to 53.8 cubic feet — plenty of room for just about anything.
Lotus has also added a smart feature with the air suspension: hit a button on the trunk’s side lining, and the rear of the car lowers 75 mm, creating a much easier load lip. It’s a simple but clever touch that proves Lotus has really thought about what drivers will need day to day.
Since 2017, Lotus has been majority-owned by China’s Geely Holding Group, which has helped modernize the brand and its tech. Geely also owns Volvo and Polestar, both of which use Google-based infotainment systems — but Lotus went its own way.
The Eletre comes with Hyper OS, an in-house system that’s part of a larger computing platform designed to eventually handle LIDAR-based self-driving features. Powered by new NVIDIA processors, Lotus says it’s at least twice as fast as the nearest rivals. In practice, Hyper OS works well. Some of the animations feel a bit over the top, but overall, it’s intuitive. Switching between screens is instant, and the layout is straightforward enough that most drivers will get the hang of it after just a few trips.
Overall Verdict
Let’s be honest — the Eletre isn’t cheap. The press car I drove had an MSRP of £112,745 (about $153,396 at today’s exchange rate), which is serious money by any measure. But after 10 days behind the wheel, I can see why someone might justify it. You’re getting sports-car thrills in SUV form, a high-quality interior, cutting-edge tech, and everyday usability — all wrapped in something that still feels unmistakably Lotus.
Of course, there are compromises. Efficiency is poor compared to rivals, the vehicle’s sheer size and weight are always present, and the ride can feel firm around town. Road noise creeps in at speed, and the ADAS systems can be more irritating than useful. These quirks remind you this isn’t a featherweight Lotus, but a heavyweight luxury EV with its own personality.
Even so, the Eletre proves Lotus can evolve without losing its spirit. It may not have the raw purity of an Elise, but it blends excitement, practicality, and modern luxury in a way few EV SUVs can. For buyers prepared to pay the price, it’s a bold and distinctive alternative to the usual luxury EV crowd.