The new Lotus SUV will wear the name Eletre when it has its full unveil later this week.
The model, which will arrive as the Norfolk-based firm’s first SUV, is expected to be launched in full tomorrow evening, revealing a completely new direction for the company.
It has previously been known as Type 132. However, Lotus has now confirmed the Eletre name via Twitter, posting “Lotus Eletre: Coming to life 29.3.22”.
The firm - up until this point - traditionally focused on lightweight sports cars like the Elise and Exige, but has recently been ramping up its offerings and hopes that this new SUV will help to increase sales.
Many other manufacturers have seen huge demand for SUVs, with even high-end companies like Lamborghini and Aston Martin enjoying the benefits of increased interest in the segment. Ferrari recently confirmed its own SUV, too.
Lotus has been able to really push into new segments thanks to its ownership by Chinese firm Geely, which has put a huge amount of investment into the firm. The Eletre, which is expected to be fully electric and available with a variety of power outputs and battery sizes, is due to be built at Geely’s plant in Wuhan, China.
Lotus has also released a short teaser video of the Eletre, showcasing a full-width light bar at the rear of the car alongside a view of illuminated steering-wheel buttons. The shot also indicates that the car will have different drive modes allowing for changes to be made to how the vehicle feels.
Lotus is due to unveil the Eletre on the evening of March 29.
