KUALA LUMPUR: Lotus Cars Malaysia aims to reestablish the iconic British sportscar brand here and has launched Lotus Eletre, which is the first all-electric Hyper-SUV from the Norwich-based carmaker.
Besides the Eletre, the company will be banking on Lotus Emira, whose production kicked off in the United Kingdom last year.
Lotus Car Malaysia general manager Tengku Ezan Ley Tengku Mahaleel said Lotus' new journey in the country would start with the Eletre and be complemented by the Emira.
"Market share is not a concern at the moment as we want to reestablish the Lotus car brand again in Malaysia," Tengku Ezan Ley told reporters after the Eletre launch here today.
Proton Holdings Bhd was the owner of Lotus Cars from 1996 till 2017.
In June 2017, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group became the major shareholder of Lotus Cars with 51 per cent, while the remaining 49 per cent is owned by Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary through Etika Automotive Sdn Bhd.
The Malaysian launch of the Eletre also marks the Hyper-SUV's debut in Asia.
It comes in three variants namely Electre, Electre S and the range topping Eletre R, with prices starting at RM578,000.
As of today's launch, the Hyper-SUV has received 140 reservations with only 200 units available for 2023.
The Eletre is built all-new and highly versatile 800v Electric Premium Architecture (EPA) with an intergrated, high-voltage power distribution system.
It comes with a choice of two powerstrains, each with two electric motors, one driving front wheels and another driving the rear wheels to deliver all-wheel-drive(AWD) capabilities.
"The electre is a progressive and exotic all-electric performance vehicle from an iconic performance car brand that will appeal to independent-minded and adventurous driving enthusiasts," Tengku Ezan Ley said.
A unique combination of exquisite design, exceptional dynamic performance and everyday usability, it is a compelling alternative for those who desire a true driver's car but whose lifestyle demands something more practical than a traditional sport car."
The Eletre and Eletre S are powered by a single-speed system to deliver 603 hp and 710 Nm of torque with 0-100 km/h performance of 4.5 seconds and 80-120 km/h in less than 2.2 seconds.
The Eletre R comes with a dual speed sytem that offers an impressive output of 905 hp and 985 Nm torque with a top speed of 265 km/he
The Eletre customers have the opportunities to customise and personalise their cars to their requirements using option packs.