The Lotus Eletre breaks new ground for the storied British brand.

In discussions with dealers recently, the topic of Chinese EVs has been front and centre. Some have been fortunate enough to visit China and experience what these vehicles are all about on home turf. With more sent to come to Canada, what can we expect here and furthermore, will consumers take to the them?

Well, there is already an opportunity to just that. Lotus, of which 51% is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, is bringing its Electre to Canada this year. And Autosphere recently had a chance to drive it.

Iconic heritage

For many, the Lotus brand needs no introduction. Founded by engineer Colin Chapman, in the United Kingdom, in 1952, Lotus quickly established itself as an innovation hub, bringing to market new technologies on both the race track and road. It became one of the most successful competitors in motorsport, including Formula 1, where it pioneering such inventions as the monocoque chassis, and under car ground effects. Lotus won 6 drivers titles and 7 constructors championships in Formula 1 between 1958 and 1978 and Chapman focused on building lightweight road cars to fund the company’s racing endeavours. After a series of kit cars including the famed Lotus Seven, Lotus entered full-body sports car production with the Elite in 1957, which was followed by such legendary models as the Elan, Europa, and Esprit.

Today, Lotus is on a mission of global expansion, blending its heritage of innovation and dynamic performance with technology for a new era. The first phase of that is the Eletre which arrives at Canadian retailers this fall.

“With the Emira sports car already available through retailers in Canada, Lotus is betting that the Eletre will reinforce the brand’s position in this country, pushing it into new segments.”

Break with tradition

The Eletre breaks with Lotus tradition, in being a crossover utility instead of a sports car and one that uses an all electric drivetrain. Other iconic sports car markers have embraced the CUV concept as a way to boost volume, appeal and profitability, enabling them to continue producing sports cars that are craved by a loyal band of enthusiasts and this regard, Lotus is no different.

While its size, weight and price, puts it firmly in the crosshairs of vehicles like the Audi Q6 e-Tron and BMW iX, spiritually and aesthetically, it feels closer to the likes of the Lamborghini Urus.

Let me explain. To begin with, the Eletre embodies technology direct from the race track. There are a plethora of functional ducts and aerodynamic aids, including the rear hatch mounted “wings.” There’s extensive use of carbon fibre in the bodywork too, but where the Urus is sharp angles and has a sort of brutish look, the Eletre is fluid, looking as if in harmony with the air that surrounds it, even when parked. This extends to the inside where unique touches, including bright coloured seatbelts and an organically styled cockpit provide a welcome compliment, plus seating for all the family and sizeable luggage space in both front and back is also high appealing. Overall, the cabin is simplistic, inviting and more functional than many EV interiors, with a solid feel to the controls and switch gear. Technology functions [driven by Lotus’ Hyper OS] are more intuitive than many late-model vehicles we’ve experienced and the screens don’t detract from the overall aesthetic that makes the cabin a calm and assuring space to be.

Sizzling performance

Underpinned by an advanced 800-volt electric vehicle architecture and incorporating high capacity motors that drive the front and rear wheels, it performs better than you would expect. Acceleration is rapid, and in busy city traffic especially, it allows you to move with almost unmatched agility. Getting up to highway speeds is utterly effortless and once there, the Eletre is smooth and very stable. It’s the handling and braking that really surprised us however. It behaves like a far smaller and lighter vehicle through the corners—the steering is incredibly communicative at both lower and higher speeds and it inspires a great deal of confidence, even for those who aren’t used to driving high performance vehicles under test conditions. Turn the wheel and the Eletre goes where it’s pointed, no fuss. The low centre of gravity and suspension refinements also means that body lean and dynamics are far more sports car than SUV, which is exactly what buyers will be looking for.

Braking is also a strong point. With massive discs and multi-piston calibers at all four corners and regenerative braking, stopping is swift and strong. Lotus offers the driver multiple settings for re-gen aggressiveness, and this adds to the appeal and in our case, made for a very harmonized overall driving experience. If there was one quip, it was rough road surfaces, which given the low profile tires and suspension tuning in our test example, resulted in some significant shocks transmitted through the steering.

Expanding appeal

Lotus is aiming to keep the Eletre competitive from a pricing standpoint, aiming to bridge the gap between what’s considered premium SUVs and higher luxury offerings. With the Government of Canada having reduced tariffs on imported Chinese EVs down to 6.1% Lotus Cars has a strong proposition on its hands in the Canadian market with this one. Base price is $119, 900, with the mid-level Eletre Sport coming in at $129,900 and the top level Eletre Touring at $139,900. A premium level and even higher performance 675 kW Carbon model is also in the works, though at the time this article was written, details for the Canadian market had yet to be finalized.

With the Emira sports car already available through retailers in Canada, Lotus is betting that the Eletre will reinforce the brand’s position in this country, pushing it into new segments, with the goal of getting both new retailers and new customers to sign off. From what we’ve seen so far, it could prove to be a very successful long-term strategy.

Specifications 2026 Lotus Eletre Sport

Length: 5103 mm (200.9 in)

Wheebase: 3,019 mm (118.9 in)

Curb weight: 2,545 kg (5,395 lbs)

Power output: 450 kW (603 hp)

Range: 460 km* (288 miles)

0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration: 4.5 seconds

Max Speed: 258 km/h (161 mph)

*refers to U.S. EPA target testing figures (actual real world performance may vary)