With a rejuvenated vehicle line-up featuring the Emira and Eletre, Lotus is seeking further expansion in the Asia-Pacific region and recently announced its return to South Korea. Described as a “key conquest market,” the British carmaker signed a partnership with Kolon Mobility Group (KMG), which has come the official importer and sole distributor of Lotus vehicles in South Korea.
As part of the collaboration, a new Lotus brand centre will be constructed in the Gangnam district of Seoul, with construction scheduled to start shortly. This will be complemented by a “one-stop shop” Lotus service centre in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si – both facilities will be launched in the fourth quarter of next year.
The Emira will be the first Lotus model to be sold by KMG from Q1 2024, which will then be followed by the Eletre in Q3 2024. However, brand and product digital marketing starts immediately as the local market website goes live, with an e-commerce feature set to be introduced at a later date.
“Lotus has a long-established and loyal group of customers and fans in Asia-Pacific markets. We are relaunching the brand in South Korea with a new product line-up and strategy, and are confident it will become one of the largest markets in Asia for Lotus, outside of China, as the business continues its global expansion,” said Mike Johnstone, group vice-president and CCO at Lotus.
Besides South Korea, the company is looking to gain a foothold in more Asia-Pacific markets, particularly Vietnam and Indonesia – it already has a presence in Malaysia and Thailand. “We are developing both current and new partners, and exciting opportunities in other new markets, to scale up for the arrival of the Eletre and the new models beyond,” commented Dan Balmer, Lotus’ regional director for APAC, Middle East and Africa.
“Since the launch of Eletre, we have received strong interest from all markets in the region, and we’re already working with those local partners in finalising the launch plans for them. We will confirm those plans in due course,” he added.
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so glad Lotus no longer owned and managed by Malays. They were dying under Proton. Glad Geely took it, and now flies with it. Entirely revived.
My doctor friend, who is also an automotive fan, had a good laugh after seeing the name ‘Kolon Mobility Group’ because the colon is the big intestine in the human digestive system, where the solid waste comes from..
there’s a tasty snack named Collon.
Can find in supermarkets.
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed your meal.
One less known history about Lotus is that, there were once Lotus sportscars built in South Korea not too long ago.
KIA actually built around 1000 Lotus Elan, simply rebadged as KIA Elan for the South Korean market.
I hope that Proton could take over the Elise production line, and built them again in malaysia, with X50 Turbo engine inside.
Proton no longer has any ownership in Lotus.
Lotus owned by Geely now.
Maybe nenek forgot that Proton is now also owned by Geely?
KIA does not need to own Lotus to build the Lotus Elan in South Korea.
Geely only owns 49.9% of Proton. The other 50.1% is owned by DRB-HICOM.
Geely only owns 51% of Lotus. The other 49% is owned by Etika Automotive Sdn Bhd, which is controlled by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary’s Etiqa Strategi Sdn Bhd
Etiqa Strategi owns a 55.9% stake in DRB-HICOM
lol. geely only owns 51% bro. 49% owns by etiqa automotive (syed mokhtar)