British Carmaker Lotus To Make India Debut On November 9; To Launch Electric SUV, Sports Car

As we reported earlier, the British sports cars manufacturer Lotus was planning to enter the Indian automobile market. It has now been confirmed that Lotus will enter the Indian market on November 9, 2023. Lotus will be selling its select models in India through its sole distributor, Exclusive Motors, New Delhi. There has been no confirmation on what Lotus models will be making its way to India, however it is expected that the British automaker will be first bringing its Emira sports car and Eletre SUV to India. These models will be brought to India as a completely built-up unit (CBU). 

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Lotus Emira 

Lotus Emira is expected to be the first car available by the British automaker in India. It comes with two engine options: a 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine sourced from AMG that generates 365 bhp of power and a more powerful V6 engine from Toyota that can produce 406 bhp of power. 

The AMG sourced engine will be mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and Toyota V6 engine is likely to have a 6-speed transmission. There is also a 6-speed manual option available for the V6 engine in other countries but it's unlikely that it will be offered in India.

The Emira stands out from previous Lotus cars because it offers more comfort and practical features. It features luxurious amenities like door pockets, cup holders, digital displays and a touchscreen for a more modern driving experience. It is expected that Lotus Emira will be priced around Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore (ex-showroom) in India. 

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Lotus Eletre 

In addition to its classic sports cars, it is expected that Lotus will also be bringing its electric SUV model, the Lotus Eletre to India. It is likely that the Lotus Eletre will be available in three variants in India - Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R.

The Eletre and Eletre S variants can produce 611 bhp of power, whereas the Eletre R stands out as it can produce an incredible 918 bhp of power. All these SUVs are equipped with the same 109 kWh battery and an 800V system that can be charged with a 350 kWh unit. Lotus claims that the Eletre SUV offers a claimed driving range of 600 km on a single charge.

Price expectations for the Lotus Eletre SUV are similar to the Lotus Emira which is between Rs 2.5 and Rs 3 crore (ex-showroom) in India.