Lotus has already stepped foot into the SUV arena, with the Eletre. But it got us thinking, would a small SUV work better or as well, based on the Volvo EX30 and Zeekr X?
You see, Lotus is currently owned by Geely. This is a Chinese-based company that owns a number of other car brands, such as Volvo, Zeekr, and Smart (and Lynk & Co, Proton, and Polestar). Those three brands offered in Australia currently have a small SUV, all underpinned by the same Sustainable Experience Architecture 2 (SEA2).
It might seem like a far-fetched idea that Lotus would introduce a small or medium SUV. But, it was a far-fetched idea for the British brand to offer an SUV with the Eletre. This is a large – and very heavy – fully electric SUV based on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), like the Polestar 4.
We asked AI to come up with some predictive renderings, using prompts to infuse the current Eletre design language while blending elements from the Zeekr X and Volvo EX30 in terms of the dimensions and platform. It produced these quite interesting drawings.
At the moment the flagship EX30 Twin Motor Performance produces 315kW. That’s probably not enough for a Lotus version, but, in China the Zeekr X is offered with a 350kW package. Zeekr also offers a mid-size SUV model called the 7X, featuring a 475kW system, based on the SEA platform.
At this stage Lotus doesn’t have any official plans to expand its SUV lineup. However, you could say the Eletre was brought in to help boost revenue for the company so it can continue to make dedicated sports cars, in the same way Porsche introduced the Cayenne.
With a smaller – and cheaper – SUV in its fleet, we could only assume it would be more popular and perhaps help produce more revenue? The Eletre currently starts from $189,990. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
