Lotus has two electric SUVs this decade.
This Monday is a teaser-heavy day, and what you’re looking at here is the upcoming Lotus Type 132 SUV. Or, more specifically, here’s at least a small part of it. The company laid out its plans over the coming decade back in October, including its first E-segment (midsize) SUV to compete against the likes of the Tesla Model X, BMW iX and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
Now there’s a closer look, although it’s just at a bit of the car’s grille. There’s not much you can see, of course, though Lotus did mention active grille shutters that adjust for cooling or improved aerodynamics.
If you’re curious, the automaker did tease a silhouette of the Lotus Type 132 (not that we can see much of that either):
In its October announcement, Lotus did mention some broad technical information for its upcoming EV range. The “Premium Architecture” on which the Type 132 is based will support compact to large SUVs, with anywhere from 113.7 to 122.4-inch wheelbases. Lotus promises they’ll have the lightest bodies in the respective classes (naturally), with battery packs ranging between 92 kWh and 120 kWh. Range should land somewhere around 350 miles on a charge, while word has it the top-end variants could manage around 750 horsepower or more.
We’ll know more in the coming months, fortunately, so we won’t have to resort to guess work on how the Type 132 will shake out for much longer. From its launch, Lotus will bring out the Type 133 as four-door coupe in 2023, and a D-segment (compact) Type 134 in 2025 to take on smaller crossovers like the Tesla Model Y.
While these cars bear the Lotus name, the EVs will — for the time being, at least — will be manufactured at a new factory in China. As the EVs roll out, the Chinese-owned automaker will continue manufacturing the gas-powered Emira sports car at its UK plant in Hethel, Norfolk. Check out more on the Emira below:
