Lotus Eletre EV coming soon to Malaysia – hyper SUV in 3 variants including 905 hp R, from RM630k est

Lotus Eletre EV coming soon to Malaysia – hyper SUV in 3 variants including 905 hp R, from RM630k est

The Lotus Eletre EV, which Hethel calls an ‘all-electric hyper-SUV’, is confirmed for Malaysia and will be coming very soon. According to our sources, the EV has amassed over 100 bookings despite there being no marketing activities by Lotus Cars Malaysia (LCM).

We hear that LCM will be bringing in all three variants of the EV SUV, which are the Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R. Indicative pricing is said to be from RM630k, taking advantage of EV duty incentives. The final RRP might be even lower, as distributors always err on the side of caution when it comes to estimated prices.

If it ends up around RM600k, the Lotus SUV would be quite a steal, and here’s why. The standard Eletre and the S are powered by a single electric motor taking juice from a 112 kWh battery. Both have 603 hp (450 kW) and 710 Nm of torque, which propels the Lamborghini Urus-sized SUV to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds. The 80 to 120 km/h sprint, which hints at overtaking ability, is below 2.2 seconds. Claimed WLTP range is 600 km.

That’s impressive, but the Eletre R is the real hyper-SUV. With dual motors pushing out 905 hp (675 kW) and 985 Nm of torque, its 0-100 km/h time is 2.95 seconds and the 80-120 km/h push takes less than 1.9 seconds. It uses the same 112 kWh battery and claimed WLTP range is 490 km, so you do exchange some miles for the speed. Top speed is 258 km/h for the single-motor and 265 km/h for the dual-motor R.

Lotus Eletre EV coming soon to Malaysia – hyper SUV in 3 variants including 905 hp R, from RM630k est

In the charging department, Lotus says that the 800V architecture Eletre’s 112 kWh battery has a quick charging time (10% to 80% SOC) of just 20 minutes using a DC charger, with no further elaboration.

As for ride and handling, the Eletre might be the biggest and heaviest car Hethel’s dynamics team has had to work with yet, being an SUV with EV batteries, but we won’t be betting against the masters of the art finding a good balance.

Anyway, 600 hp for +/- RM600k could be unprecedented, perhaps only possible with a combination of electric motors, our current duty-exemption for EVs and a challenger brand in Lotus. For some context, the CKD Porsche Cayenne with a 3.0L V6 engine has 340 PS/450 Nm and does 0-100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. Locally assembled in Kulim, the ICE SUV is priced from RM575k.

We understand that the hyper R flagship variant with 905 hp will not cross RM1 million even with all option boxes ticked. If you have that sort of bank balance, the Eletre sounds like a steal. We’ll share more info when it’s available, but for now, what do you think of the Lotus Eletre, its looks, the performance on offer, and the value at around RM600k?

GALLERY: 2023 Lotus Eletre

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Electrician on Mar 17, 2023 at 5:08 pm

    112kWh/675kW*60=9.95min before the battery runs dry…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 5
    • huh?? what is this calculation you’re doing meth not math lol

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3
      • safe side on Mar 20, 2023 at 10:11 am

        You don’t know the relation between kWh and kW? What school have you been?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 6
        • Actually went to school on Mar 29, 2023 at 12:47 am

          A proper school unlike yours. Even basic common sense can tell you that’s not how the calculation works

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • By your logic, all Tesla drivers would need to charge their cars every 10 minutes as well. What kind of nonsense is this?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • seancorr on Mar 17, 2023 at 11:18 pm

    The rich are laughing and thanking the govt for their birthday present. Truly a good deal

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
    • Ella Hu Ah Boh on Mar 20, 2023 at 11:26 am

      ultra rich buys the latest Lexus factory fitted with steer by wire steering yoke

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • John Mansfield on Mar 18, 2023 at 3:10 pm

    Interesting to see if this Lotus sells worldwide in any significant numbers. It’s certainly not being priced as a cheap family runaround… However anyone wishing to drop the kids off and then do a few laps around Sepang, before going to the supermarket for a family shop seem well catered for….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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