Lotus Eletre will hit the road priced from £89,500

Lotus has announced that its new Eletre electric SUV will be priced from £89,500 and available with a choice of two powertrains.

First revealed back in March, the Eletre will form part of a new range of electric SUVs from Lotus. Entry-level Eletre and Eletre S models will bring 593bhp and 710Nm of torque as well as a range of up to 373 miles.

A more powerful Eletre R will sit at the top of the range, bringing 893bhp and 985Nm of torque and a slightly smaller range of 304 miles. The Eletre and Eletre S will bring a 0-60mph time of 4.3 seconds, while the R shaves this down to under three seconds.

The 112kWh battery will also be able to return a 10 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 20 minutes when hooked up to a rapid charger.

Matt Windle, group vice-president and managing director, Lotus Cars, said: “Confirmation of the pricing and specs of the Lotus Eletre is a key moment in the transformation of Lotus through our Vision80 strategy.

“We know from media and customer feedback that they’re hugely excited by the arrival of this car – indeed, the Eletre has already won awards as 2023’s ‘most excited to see’ new model. Customer deliveries start during the first half of next year.”

The Eletre also incorporates a new ‘digital cockpit’ system which uses the Lotus Hyper OS system. Drawing technology from the gaming sector, this setup allows Lotus to create ‘next-generation 3D content and experiences’.

Lotus has also announced a partnership with Dolby, which will fit its latest Atmos music system to the Eletre.

Standard equipment on the entry-level Eletre includes active air suspension, torque vectoring, matrix LED headlights and 22-inch forged alloy wheels. Inside, there are 12-way electrically adjustable seats, four-zone climate control and a 15.1-inch central infotainment screen.

Step up to the Eletre S – priced frOm £104,500 – and privacy glass and an active rear spoiler are added, as well as illuminated side sills and soft-close doors. The range-topping Eletre R, which is priced from £120,000, brings a lowered ride height, performance-orientated settings for the dampers and anti-roll control. A track mode also fully opens the active grille and activates launch control for super-fast acceleration.