While not exactly a Lotus in the traditional sense, the Eletre is nevertheless a well-equipped, nice-driving electric SUV
Thus the Eletre, though it certainly doesn’t look like any old mainstream SUV. The styling is wild, and the proportions are hard to gauge in photos. At 200.9 inches long, the Eletre is 2.1 inches longer than a Ford Explorer, but it has a low roofline that gives it more of a tall wagon vibe, especially in profile.
Hard launching a lot of performance EVs kind of feels like getting rear-ended by a semi truck in that it’s so instantaneous. But the Eletre takes a second—well, a millisecond, anyway—before it takes off. Once you do get up to higher speeds, the SUV gets a little unwieldy. The front end moves around a bit and the whole thing starts to feel floaty—something I never thought I'd say about a Lotus. That’s only at 100 mph, by the way; I’m not allowed to go any faster.
Four levels of regenerative braking are offered, and I toggle through them via what would be the left paddle shifter mounted to the steering wheel. The steps between these settings are noticeable, and while the heaviest-handed mode doesn’t completely allow for one-pedal driving, it’s pretty close. Transitioning to the mechanical brakes is a smooth process, with no sudden bite when the regen gives way to actual friction.
Lotus is incredibly proud of its combination KEF and Dolby Atmos surround-sound stereo—so much so, in fact, that it won’t let you change any of the audio settings. You cannot adjust the bass, treble, balance, or fader like you can in just about every other car on the planet. While the system is great for most tracks, anything bass-heavy becomesbass-heavy, and this could be a problem if you have passengers who are sensitive to certain vibrations or tones.
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