“Simplify, then add lightness.” That is the philosophy of Lotus and in particular of Lotus founder Colin Chapman. Whether that motto also applies to the brand’s upcoming newcomer remains to be seen. The English sports car manufacturer is said to have a relatively practical model on the roll.
Lotus is not exactly the most reliable manufacturer when it comes to forward-looking statements. Financial shortages and changes of owner repeatedly threw a spanner in the works. For example, at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the brand opened up a can of newcomers that included not only a new Lotus Elise, but also the Elite, the almost Panamera-like Eterne and even a reborn Esprit and a reincarnated Elan. In Paris, Lotus even flirted with the concept of a city car. None of them went into production, so we tend to take future plans for the brand with a grain of salt. Still, there is an important reason to take the following Lotus announcement seriously: it comes with a daily entry-level ‘entry-level model’.
Lotus CEO Phil Popham tells Automotive News that Lotus has a “new entry-level model that is suitable for everyday use thanks to its interior space”. Lotus recently acquired a new Chinese owner with Geely, an immense company that plans to invest heavily in the English sports car manufacturer. This capital injection makes it possible, among other things, for Lotus to develop a fully electric hypercar: the Evija. It is therefore plausible that Lotus’s “new practical entry-level model” is actually coming.
Although Lotus describes the still unnamed newcomer as an entry-level model, the car does not seem to be the cheapest model. Popham speaks to Autonews of prices ranging between £ 55,000 and £ 100,000. The Elise currently has a starting price of around £ 46,000 in its home country of the United Kingdom. According to Popham, the car is laced with design influences from the aforementioned Evija. The newcomer will not become a regular hatchback or even an SUV, despite the fact that Lotus previously called for an SUV to be launched in 2021. The practically usable Lotus would just become a sports car, but one with enough interior space. “Our focus is currently on sports cars, but we have the potential to look at other segments as well. Geely has sufficient expertise in this area. This would eventually allow an SUV or a sporty sedan,” said Popham. That SUV has not yet been fired.
Pictured: Lotus Elite 2010.