Feature: Lotus Eletre R: India's fastest SUV

There was a time when the term ‘Performance SUV’ used to be something of a misnomer. Either you had an SUV, with all the extra weight and mass associated with the type, or you had performance. That was until large capacity and/or turbocharged engines were shoehorned under the bonnets of SUVs, improving their power-to-weight ratios, and making them both fast off the line and capable of sustaining high speeds. Then SUVs evolved, got rid of their heavy ladder-frame chassis, became more car-like and got lighter on their feet. For instance, BMW’s X5 and Porsche’s Cayenne with their big V8 engines and the ability to embarrass performance cars.

This, then, is the next jump up in performance SUVs. Massive twin-electric motors, huge torque, sky-high horsepower figures and the ability to put power down better than any combustion SUV. The enemy here, as with other SUVs, is weight. This one weighs upwards of 2,640kg—depending on how you specify it—and that’s one heavy chunk of metal. Remember, the Eletre is a large SUV—almost as long as an S-Class—with a 112kWh battery that weighs upwards of 650kg. Imagine a cryogenically frozen Colin Chapman being woken up and told what his new car weighs.

What he’d be astounded by, however, is the performance. With 905hp and 985Nm of all-electric grunt, the Eletre R has power, a good amount of weight pressing down on the driven wheels (for greater traction) and a fast-switching traction control system that reacts several times faster than those on an ICE car.

Another spec that helps is the 0.26 drag coefficient. The spoiler first deploys at an 18-degree angle, and this further reduces drag by 1.8 percent and increases downforce (and stability) by up to 60kg. Air springs, active anti-roll bars and rear-wheel steering also help keep the car stable. Additionally, the Eletre R features a Porsche Taycan-like two-speed transmission at the rear motor for an extra burst of acceleration; the first gear has a ratio of 13.65:1 and the second gear, a much taller 7.16:1.

Time to test. With an entire runway to play with and our V-box timing gear strapped on, we head out. Getting the Eletre R off the line and using max performance isn’t difficult. All you need to do is switch the drive mode to ‘Track’, put your left foot on the brake, plant your right foot down and let the brake go.

The initial surge off the line isn’t explosive or Tesla-like, but the Eletre squats on its rear tyres like a pukka dragster, you feel the wheels spin and tremble as it transfers power down to the road, and after a delay of about half a second, you get what feels like the kick of a rocket motor in the rear. Also lending a helping hand is the electronically controlled damping system, which measures suspension load a 1,000 times a second and adapts the damping rate 500 times per second.

Snap your fingers twice and you are past 100kph—your brain having to play catch up. And what’s even more shocking, pun intended, is that performance continues to ramp up and get stronger rather than tailing off. The wheels find more and more traction at higher speeds and are able to put down more of the power. The software and hardware’s ability to stay right on the edge of traction allowing the car to pull forward with no cut in power and no real loss of thrust is also surprising.

Lotus claims the Eletre R does 0-100kph in 2.95 seconds. The incredible thing here is that even on this dusty airstrip with no rubber laid down, it does the 0-100 run in just 3.1 seconds. Then, at around 135kph (or at times a bit earlier), the Lotus shifts up a gear and you are slammed even harder into the backrest; 200kph flying by just like that, and the Eletre R still pulling hard as we pass 200kph in 9.67 seconds. Remember, this SUV weighs upwards of 2.6 tonnes, has four seats, space for luggage and does 0-200 in under 10 seconds. Dynamite! This is easily the fastest SUV in India. Faster than a Porsche Cayenne Turbo; faster than even the Lamborghini Urus Performante or S. The pace is so hot, the 1,200-metre Aamby Valley runway flashes past, and before I know it, I’m gently and then firmly applying pressure on the brake pedal. Whoa! What a ride.

Also see: 

Lotus Eletre review: 905hp electric super SUV driven

Lotus Eletre video review