Lotus ELETRE

Cabin

The comfort is ensured by stitched leather, microfibre, and premium fabric finishes mixed with metallic accents across the dashboard, an unusual combination for a Lotus but one that lands much closer to a luxury SUV than the traditional sports cars the brand is known for. The steering wheel uses proper physical controls, while the front seats provide the adjustment and support expected from a car designed to cover long distances.

There is a 15.1-inch OLED touchscreen that is the clear highlight of the cockpit, running Lotus’s Hyper OS with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. A fully digital instrument display sits ahead of the driver, while the passenger also gets access to a dedicated display, giving the cabin a more high-tech feel than anything Lotus has offered before. The forward visibility benefits from a large windscreen that keeps the driver connected to the road despite the car’s size.

Then the cabin has four-zone climate control, ambient lighting, and wireless charging on applicable versions. The Lotus Connect app lets owners check battery status, precondition the cabin before a scorching Dubai afternoon, and locate the car in a crowded mall car park from their phone. The over-the-air software updates also mean the car’s features can continue improving after purchase.

Front Seat

• Electric front seats with memory function
• Supportive cushioning and lumbar adjustment
• Premium trim and metallic switchgear
• Heating and ventilation on higher trims 

Rear Seat

• Standard five-seat configuration
• Spacious rear bench with good legroom and headroom
• Folding rear seats for additional cargo flexibility
• Dedicated rear climate controls and storage
• Rear-seat comfort designed for longer journeys 

Looking at the rear, the space is truly quite good, generous by any measure, with enough legroom and headroom for adults on long drives rather than just short school runs. The Eletre’s large body gives it an advantage here, especially for families that regularly carry adults in the second row. 

Climate Control

Four-zone automatic climate control keeps front and rear occupants at their own preferred temperature, an important feature given how quickly a parked car heats up under the UAE sun and how much occupants disagree on the ideal cabin temperature once moving.

Storage

• Deep centre console storage ahead of the gear selector
• Door pockets sized for bottles and tablets
• Underfloor compartments for cables and charging accessories
• Rear seat pockets and armrest storage

Battery and Charging

• 112 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack
• Range up to 600 km on the Eletre 600 range and up to 500 km on the Eletre 900 range
• The fast charging adds 400 km of range in around 20 minutes
• Wireless phone charging pad standard on higher trims
• Remote charge scheduling through the Lotus Connect app

The range difference between the two variants reflects a real trade-off. The 900 series gives up some distance in return for significantly more motor output and performance, while the 600 series makes more sense for buyers who spend more time covering longer distances across the Emirates. Lotus officially quotes up to 600 km for the 600 series and up to 500 km for the 900 series.

Boot Space

The Eletre’s boot offers useful space for a large luxury SUV, while the hands-free tailgate makes loading easier when carrying shopping bags or luggage. Fold the rear seats down, and the available space grows substantially, while the additional front storage area gives owners somewhere to keep charging cables and smaller items.

• Driver, passenger, and front side airbags
• Advanced driver assistance system with LiDAR
• Multiple cameras and radar sensors for 360-degree coverage
• Twelve ultrasonic sensors for close-range detection
• Anti-lock braking with electronic stability and traction control
• Hill hold assist and ISOFIX child-seat anchors in the rear 

The LiDAR system and a large number of cameras and radar sensors are among Eletre’s biggest technology highlights. Lotus says the system uses a forward-facing ultra-HD camera, additional cameras, radar, and LiDAR to monitor the surrounding environment, while the Moon Pilot system combines laser and radar sensors with cameras to detect vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles.

Front

The nose is short and sharp, sitting low with a snub profile that borrows directly from the Evija hypercar’s cab-forward design language. The headlights are thin and angular, tucked into a face that channels air through the body rather than simply around it. Seven sets of ducts run across the Eletre’s surfaces, guiding airflow through the front bumper, over the bonnet, and along the sides, a detail Lotus calls its porosity design.

Side Profile

The Eletre carries its considerable length with a low-slung roofline and a steeply raked windscreen that make it look more like a stretched coupe than a conventional SUV. The cabin sits slightly elevated above the body, while bulging fenders over each wheel arch add visual muscle without tipping into excess. A split roof spoiler, motorsport-inspired and made from carbon fibre, directs air over the rear glass to connect with a deployable spoiler that rises at speed. The available LiDAR sensors sit flush within the bodywork and form part of the Eletre’s advanced driver assistance system.

Alloy Wheels

The Eletre comes with large alloy wheels, with 22-inch wheels available and larger 23-inch options depending on specification. The wide tyre setup is not just about looks; it helps the Eletre put its substantial electric power down while supporting the active suspension and the car’s high-speed stability.

Rear

The rear is where the Eletre’s styling gets properly impressive. The connected ribbon tail lights stretch across the tailgate, a split spoiler sits above them, and large vents cut into the rear bodywork let air escape rather than build pressure. The overall effect allows more air to pass through the body than most SUVs in this class manage, improving aerodynamic efficiency and stability without resorting to a large wing bolted on as an afterthought.

Colors

• Solar Yellow
• Stellar Black
• Blossom Gray
• Galloway Green
• Kaimu Gray

Solar Yellow draws attention in a way few SUVs manage, while Stellar Black and Kaimu Grey suit buyers who want the Eletre’s aggressive shape to speak without shouting through paint. Given the car’s price bracket, buyers configuring an Eletre can also look at Lotus’s personalisation options for interior materials, trim, and exterior details to create a more individual specification.

The Eletre 900, which sits at the top of the range, is the version most buyers will actually want to use at the Downtown Dubai valet stand, but the Eletre 600 is not a compromise. It still moves with serious urgency and covers more distance on a single charge, which matters in a country where the next fast charger is not always around the next corner. Both variants offer the immediate torque delivery that comes from electric motors, so acceleration feels almost relentless rather than building in stages. The 900 takes that further with 985 Nm of torque, a two-speed transmission on the rear axle, and a claimed 0–100 km/h time of 2.95 seconds. 

City Performance

Despite its size, the Eletre’s steering and suspension keep it manageable through Dubai’s tighter streets, and the elevated driving position gives excellent sightlines over surrounding traffic. Parking a car this size in older neighbourhoods takes some getting used to, and the camera and sensor systems earn their keep here. Tour mode softens the car’s responses for smoother driving through busy city traffic, while Range mode focuses more on efficiency when covering longer distances.

• Elevated seating position improves visibility in dense city traffic
• Camera and sensor systems assist parking in tight structures
• Tour mode delivers smoother throttle and suspension responses
• Active suspension absorbs urban road imperfections well, though sharp bumps can still cause some movement 

Highway Performance

On Sheikh Zayed Road or the long run toward Abu Dhabi, the Eletre settles into a stable, confident cruise, and the active air suspension keeps the body controlled even at sustained high speed. Switching from Tour to Sport mode sharpens throttle response and steering while adjusting the suspension for a more connected feel without making the car uncomfortable.

• Active air suspension maintains a flat, stable ride at highway speeds
• Sport mode sharpens throttle and steering response for faster cruising
• All-wheel drive delivers confident traction during high-speed lane changes
• The range of the 600 series makes longer trips across the Emirates easier 

Ride and Handling

The Eletre resists body roll impressively for a vehicle of its size and weight, particularly when switching between driving modes on a winding road. The anti-roll technology and active suspension work together to keep the car flat through direction changes that would unsettle most large SUVs. It is not a Lotus sports car by any stretch, but the brand’s engineering DNA shows through in how composed the Eletre feels when pushed harder than most owners ever will.

The steering is also more responsive than you might expect from an SUV of this size, while the active suspension works with the chassis to balance comfort and control. The 900 series takes things further with Track mode, which lowers the ride height and changes the powertrain and stability-control responses for more aggressive driving.

Eletre 600

The Eletre 600 is the more practical choice in the range, offering 603 hp of power and a claimed range of up to 600 km. It still gets the full electric all-wheel-drive setup, Lotus’s aerodynamic design, and the advanced technology package. This could be a perfect pick if you want to cover distance and have daily usability over outright performance.

Eletre 900 (R)

The top-end, higher-performance variant comes with everything from the 600 series and then takes the performance side considerably further. It has 905 hp of power, 985 Nm of torque, and does 0–100 km/h in just 2.95 seconds, which makes it something really special. If you want a more standout and attention-grabbing electric SUV, this is it, provided you do not mind paying the premium.

Zigwheels Recommendation

Choosing actually depends entirely on your taste, but we think the Eletre 600 makes more sense for buyers who will actually use the range day to day, covering longer distances across the Emirates without constantly hunting for a charger. The Eletre 900 can be considered by buyers who want its extra output and acceleration, and see this as their weekend statement car. Either way, the higher equipment levels and premium cabin make the Eletre a more complete luxury SUV than the Lotus badge might initially suggest.

We all know the SUV segment is not a compromise in the UAE, the way it can feel in Europe; it is the format buyers actually want, and that changes how the Eletre should be judged here. Lotus fans elsewhere will not like seeing a two-tonne-plus SUV carry a badge once reserved for light, small sports cars. For a brand that spent decades making cars lighter, this feels like a real shock. But UAE buyers were rarely buying Lotus for that reason to begin with; they were buying road presence, performance, and something different from the usual luxury SUV crowd.

If you compare it against Porsche’s, Bentley’s, and other high-performance luxury SUVs, the Eletre holds up well: striking design, a properly luxurious cabin, advanced technology, and performance numbers that compete with far more established names. The Eletre is also not trying to hide what it is. It is a large electric SUV that uses Lotus engineering to make that size and weight feel far more manageable from behind the wheel.

The 600 series is the more sensible choice for most buyers, especially those who regularly travel between Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the Northern Emirates, while the 900 is the one for buyers who want the numbers and performance that make the car genuinely special. It is not a traditional Lotus, but that is exactly what makes the Eletre interesting. For a UAE buyer chasing something the usual SUV crowd has not already normalised, the Eletre offers a different kind of exclusivity than the brand alone usually buys.

Other High-Performance Electric SUVs to Consider Instead of the Lotus ELETRE