It may be viewed as automotive sacrilege to some but
Lotus is serious about producing an SUV and will make the most of Geely’s
resources in bringing it to life. Autocar reports that Lotus will look to rival
the Maserati Levante and Porsche Macan with the model and wants it to be the
best handling vehicle in its class.
Forming the basis of the model will be parts from
the SPA platform underpinning the Volvo XC90 and XC60. Although the use of such
components will limit the Lotus SUV to four cylinder engines, the vehicle will
weigh less than two tonnes and the British brand has a knack for extracting
serious power from small engines. Consequently, a peak figure exceeding 400 hp
is a certainty.
Speaking of the vehicle’s handling prowess, Lotus chief
executive Jean Marc Gales said, “It will go round bends like nothing else in
its segment. If we fail on that we fail the project.” The SUV’s platform won’t
be the only thing it shares with Volvo. Numerous electric equipment from the
Swedish brand will find its way into the Lotus, including its touchscreen
infotainment system.
The majority of production will be done in China but
Gales said he’d love to see the UK also building the SUV. However, Gales
confirmed he wants “to know what happens after Brexit” before finalizing a
second production location.
A launch for the Lotus SUV within the next four
years is tipped.
