Testing continues for Lotus' first-ever electric sedan. Following in the footsteps of its crossover sibling, the Eletre, the model is understood to have been christened the Envya, and it was recently spied on video in a premiere.
Caught undergoing testing at the Nurburgring, where you can pretty much hear its weight through the screaming tires, it was also spotted on the roads around the famous German racetrack before and after doing its thing between the apexes.
Visually, we don't have anything new to report on. The prototype in question looks the same as the one snapped earlier this month; chances are we are looking at the same car. It still resembles its high-riding sibling, sporting familiar head- and taillights. It has flush-mounted door handles, and it is a sleek proposal that will help boost the company’s sales.
Whether it will make a splash in the business segment for electric sedans is a very good question. The reason is its rivals, as due to its size and shape, it will inevitably challenge the likes of the Tesla Model S. It will also take on the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, Mercedes EQE, and BMW i5. This means that potential customers will have high expectations, so it will have to be very good.
It will allegedly launch with seating for four and five, with the former featuring individual rear seats and the latter a bench. The interior has not opened up to the camera yet, but it will reportedly be shared with the one of the Eletre. It might get the same digital dials, infotainment system, and perhaps most buttons and knobs. The driving aids might also be identical, and it is said to get Level 3 semi-autonomous driving for calmer daily commutes. It could sport exclusive trim and upholstery to set itself apart, though.
There are many unknowns when it comes to the Lotus Envya, and the powertrain is another one. Nonetheless, it will supposedly share this one, too, with the Eletre. If that is really the case, then you could be looking at under four seconds required to complete the 0-62 mph (0-100 kph). The crossover has a bi-motor setup, with 603 horsepower and 524 pound-feet (710 Nm), and it can deal with the acceleration in four and a half seconds. Over 900 hp are rumored from the range-topping version of the car, which might add the R suffix. That may not be enough to beat the Tesla Model S Plaid, but it should still be a welcome addition to the lineup.
Judging by the pace at which prototypes have been spotted these past few weeks, it is likely that the Lotus Envya will premiere in a few months, maybe before the end of 2023.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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