Jacob and Yuri from TheStraightPipes were among the first Canadian reviewers to spend time with the Lotus Eletre Carbon, a two-motor electric hyper SUV built at a Geely facility in China. The Eletre Carbon carries 726 pound-feet of torque from a 109 kilowatt-hour battery and uses 800-volt architecture, a two-speed transmission, carbon ceramic brakes, active anti-roll bars, and active four-wheel steering. They filmed at 30 percent battery and said the car was not pulling back on power. Track mode with stability control off produced launch results and tire marks that left both of them audibly surprised. Canadian pricing on this trim starts at $179,000 CAD; at time of filming, the US equivalent was listed around $229,900, though both noted that pricing may shift given ongoing tariff uncertainty for Chinese-built vehicles arriving in North America.
Lotus is majority owned by Geely, which also controls Volvo and Polestar, and the Eletre is the brand's first SUV. The Carbon is the high-specification version, distinguished by carbon fiber aero elements throughout, large six-piston calipers in yellow, and an adjustable air suspension with a ride height low enough to give the car an almost wagon-like stance at its lowest setting. The drive mode paddle on the right cycles through track, individual, sport, tour, range, and trail. The left paddle adjusts regenerative braking strength, including the option to remove it entirely. Canada is receiving these before the United States, which Jacob flagged as worth knowing for North American EV buyers who want one sooner.
The infotainment supports both wired and wireless CarPlay and uses a large center screen that both reviewers found more intuitive than expected for a car in this category. A small, symmetrical gauge cluster sits centered in the dash, a design choice they noted simplifies left-hand and right-hand drive production. There is a head-up display both found useful. Criticisms include no hardware volume knob anywhere on the car, which caused problems at a drive-through window when the steering wheel was turned. Climate vent direction requires going into the infotainment. Pop-out flush door handles behave as expected for this type of vehicle. Range for the Carbon is rated at 385 kilometers. The 0-to-60 estimate is in the three-second range or below based on Jacob's commentary during the launch sequences.
Bottom line: The Eletre Carbon is harder to dismiss than its country of assembly and its price tag together might suggest. Both reviewers went in with moderate expectations and came out impressed by the powertrain and the handling composure. If Lotus can move enough of them at this price in Canada before the US pricing shakes out, that is the more interesting question.