British iconic brand Lotus Cars entered India on Thursday, and the company said it is the right time to launch vehicles in the luxury segment as demand is growing along with the support from the government on infrastructure.
The company launched three variants of its Eletre electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) here – Lotus Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R priced at ₹2.55 crore, ₹2.75 crore and ₹2.99 crore respectively (all ex-showroom pan-India).
The Eletre and Eletre S feature the 450-kW/ 603-hp single-speed version, with a maximum range of 600 km and the Eletre R comes with the flagship 675-kW/ 905-hp dual-speed system and a maximum range of 490 km. Torque figures are 710 Nm and 985 Nm respectively, delivering a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) performance of either 4.5 or 2.95 seconds. The 112-kWh battery for both versions has a charging time (10-80 per cent) of just 20 minutes using a rapid charger, the company said.
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“It is exactly the vital time to launch Lotus Eletre as a brand in India. We have carefully accessed the market, infrastructure in India and spent time sourcing for a right partner...we are sure to propel the brand and sell our vehicles here,” Dominic Baumgart, Head of Aftersales - Asia Pacific, West Asia, Africa and India, Lotus Cars, told businessline on the sidelines of the launch.
Exclusive outlet
The company has tied up with Exclusive Motors India to sell its cars in India with the first showroom coming up by March 2024 in New Delhi and add more outlets in cities where there are maximum demands.
Later next year, Lotus also plans to bring the Emira, its latest and final internal combustion sports car, to the Indian market. The Emira is a continuation of a long history of mid-engine, highly-acclaimed sports car that Lotus became most famous for in the last decades.
Coming in two choices of engines, customers can choose a 2L Turbocharged four-cylinder producing 360hp or a six-cylinder supercharged option putting out 400hp, the company said.
On asked about the duty structure that India has right now on imported cars, Baumgart said the duties are for everyone and not for a particular company, and as and when the government decides to reduce it or change it, the company will tweak its plans.
“Globally there is a trend to do green or more thrilling way to the future, and we believe that the EV technology comes with a lot of benefit...in terms of performance also,” he added.
Lotus Cars is right now owned by the Chinese Geely Holding Group that owns Volvo Cars too.