Lotus is a brand that is absolutely king at producing wonderful-handling sports cars that make you smile endlessly from ear to ear and has built its reputation on just that. Unfortunately, with most new car sales being SUVs with at least some form of electrification, building soulful sports cars isn’t enough to stay afloat, so something drastic needed to happen. Seemingly completely against the usual Lotus grain, the company – now under Chinese company Geely – has come up with a fully-electric large sedan: the Lotus Emeya. Does it feel like a Lotus? We attended the Australian launch to find out.
Rivalling the likes of the Audi E-Tron GT, Porsche Taycan, BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE, the 2024 Lotus Emeya has some big shoes to fill – for more than just the traditional Lotus buyer but also very wealthy buyers who can afford $200,000+ cars. No pressure, then…
How much does the Lotus Emeya cost to buy?
Built in a brand new factory in Wuhan China, the Lotus Emeya is a big change for the brand. Priced from $189,990 plus on-road costs for the base car known as simply ‘Emeya’, there are two models in the lineup above it: the $209,990 +ORC Emeya S and the $259,990 +ORC range-topping Emeya R.
Lotus Emeya standard equipment:
- 20-inch alloy wheels with a tyre repair kit
- Adaptive air suspension
- Automatic dusk-sensing all-LED exterior lighting
- Automatic rain-sensing wipers
- Heated, auto-dimming and auto-folding mirrors
- Keyless entry and start
- Power tailgate
- Gloss black exterior trim
- Quad-zone climate control with rear air vents
- Leather upholstery
- Heated and 12-way electrically adjustable front seats with memory functionality
- Heated steering wheel with electric column adjustment
- Leather steering wheel with paddles to control regenerative braking and drive modes
- 12.6-inch digital driver’s display
- 8.6-inch climate control touchscreen
- 15.1-inch touchscreen with an inbuilt eSIM for 5G connectivity and over-the-air updates
- 29-inch augmented reality head-up display
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring
- Satellite navigation with live traffic
- AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
- Wireless phone charger
- 4x USB-C charging ports
- Various driving modes
- Automated regenerative braking
- Auto-dimming rear mirror
- Type two/mode three charging cable
- Heat pump
Lotus Emeya standard safety equipment:
- Seven airbags (including a front centre unit)
- Auto emergency braking (AEB) in forward and reverse
- Forward collision assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
- Front and rear parking sensors
- 360-degree surround view camera
- Door open warning
- Driver attention detection
- Lane departure warning with lane keep assist
- 24-pixel Matrix adaptive high beam headlights
The 2024 Lotus Emeya range received is yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
Emeya S adds over Emeya:
- 21-inch diamond cut wheels
- Six-piston front brake callipers
- Active adjustable rear spoiler
- Soft-close doors
- Ambient lighting
- Rear privacy glass
- Glass roof
- Ventilated and massaging front seats
- Heated and ventilated rear seats
- 23-speaker 2,160-watt KEF sound system
- Fully automated self-parking
- Heated washer jets
- Hands-free electric tailgate
- LiDAR system
Emeya R adds over Emeya:
- 675kW/985Nm outputs
- 21-inch alloy wheels
- Six-piston front brake callipers
- Two-speed transmission
- Lotus Anti-Roll Control
- Rear wheel steering
- Track mode
- Carbon fibre exterior detailing
- Hands-free electric tailgate
- Configurable interior ambient lighting
- LiDAR system
Lotus Emeya colour range (all no-cost extra):
- Stellar Black: $2,720
- Solar Yellow: $3,930
- Akoya White: $2,720
- Fireglow Orange: $3,930
- Boreal Grey: $3,930
- Kaimu Grey: no cost
Eletre interior colour themes:
- Jasper (red and black) nappa leather: $8,050
- Gold (tan and black) nappa leather: $8,050
- Magnetite (grey and black – standard on Emeya and Emeya S) nappa leather
- Ruby (red and black) nappa leather: $9,060
- Quartz (light grey and black – standard on Emeya R) vegan leather: $6,030
- Carnelian (orange and black) nappa leather: $9,060
Emeya options:
- Glass roof (Emeya and Emeya R): $3,200
- Intelligent glass roof: $4,670 (Emeya and Emeya R) – $1,470 (Emeya S)
- Carbon fibre roof (Emeya S and Emeya R): $4,670 – $3,200
- Rear privacy glass (Emeya): $1,070
- Extended carbon package: $26,270 (Emeya and Emeya S) – $15,740 (Emeya R)
- Black Lotus badges: $910 (Emeya and Emeya S) – $540 (Emeya R)
- Carbon ceramic brakes with 10-piston callipers: $21,200 (Emeya S and Emeya R)
- Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres: $1,870
- 21- to 23-inch wheels depending on model: $4,000 – $8,000
- Side cameras (to replace side mirrors): $5,330
- Alcantara and carbon fibre steering wheel: $1,470
- Touring package (Emeya only): $4,670
- Homelink garage door opener: $540
- KEF Reference 3D surround sound system (Emeya S and Emeya R): $9,740
- Comfort seat package (Emeya and Emeya R): $6,670
- Executive seat package with four-seat layout (Emeya S and Emeya R): $10,700
- Extended interior carbon pack: $5,330
- Seat belts in either black, red, grey, yellow etc: $1,070
- Parking package (Emeya and Emeya R): $3,340
- Highway assist package: $8,000 (Emeya) – $5,200 (Emeya S and Emeya R)
- Active aero pack: $5,330
- Dynamic handling pack (Emeya and Emeya S): $17,600
- Electric tow bar: $2,930
What powers the Lotus Emeya?
The entire Lotus Emeya range is equipped with a 112kWh battery with an 800-volt architecture for fast charging, as well as a dual-motor all-wheel drive platform. The entry-level Emeya and mid-spec Emeya S produce 450kW of power and 710Nm of torque, while the range-topping Emeya R makes a whopping 675kW and 985Nm. The claimed 0-100km/h time for the Emeya and Emeya S is 4.15 seconds, while the Emeya R reduces that sprint time to just 2.78-seconds – the Emeya and Emeya S hit a 249km/h top speed, while the Emeya R is slightly faster at 255km/h. Exclusive to the Emeya R is a two-speed transmission for the rear motor that aids in performance driving, which is similar to that seen in the Porsche Taycan.
The Emeya and Emeya S have a claimed WLTP range of between 498km and 600km, depending on which wheel option you choose, while the Emeya R’s claimed WLTP range is 434–484km, again depending on the wheel option. The Emeya can be charged at up to 22kW on AC chargers and up to 350kW using DC chargers, which is impressive and almost completely unique in Australia. Charging from 10 to 80 per cent takes as little as 20 minutes using DC charging at 350kW and charging from 0 to 100 per cent using AC charging takes around five and a half hours.
What is the Lotus Emeya like to drive?
The Emeya variant we drove on the launch day was the mid-spec Emeya S, which has the ‘lesser’ 450kW/710Nm outputs and from our first impressions, it has more than enough performance for most people’s needs. We didn’t feel the need to have so much more power, the Emeya S easily throws you into your seat when accelerating. The Emeya’s cornering ability is excellent, though it’s not the last word in fun – if you expected a 2.5 tonne luxury EV sedan to feel like an Elise, you’re in for a shock.
The ride in the Emeya is excellent: it’s taut and performance-oriented, but then also not too firm. The air suspension does a good job of changing the car’s personality when driving hard. Cornering in the Emeya is confident – the all-wheel drive system does a great job of holding the car to the road and the adaptive suspension firms up in sport mode to make the car more engaging. The regenerative braking on the Emeya is up there with the best we have experienced. The left-hand paddle on the steering wheel changes the ferocity of the braking and in its highest setting, it does a great job of slowing the car down. Even in sport mode when the generative breaking is lessened, it still aids in slowing the car down and can even be beneficial in sporty driving.
How luxurious is the Lotus Emeya?
While, to some, the idea of a luxury Lotus sedan is a massive departure from the brand’s past of lightweight sports cars, we think the interior of the Emeya proves just how different ‘new Lotus’ is to the Lotus we know. Gone are the lightweight materials and minimalist layout of cars like the Elise and in their place are properly luxurious materials, lots of technology and futuristic design that we think holds a candle to more established luxury brands. Step into the interior of the Emeya and you are cocooned in nothing but excellent quality materials. There is alcantara, leather and glass used throughout the cabin. All the touch points are covered in premium materials and it feels like a very expensive cabin, as you’d expect for the price.
Some cool points to discuss in the interior are the pop-out cup holders that disappear when not in use, the slim passenger screen that can show music information, the quad-spoke steering wheel and the large centre touchscreen.
Speaking of the large centre touchscreen, it’s actually a 15.1-inch OLED screen that is very simple to use. The new Lotus infotainment system is a doddle to get used to, even in our short first drive, we mastered it completely. Even connecting the wireless Apple CarPlay takes around 30 seconds, and we think a lot of brands could learn from this infotainment simplicity. The native maps are also easy to use and look good on the large display, though we wish the reversing camera quality was improved, as it is a bit grainy.
The rear seat room in the Lotus Emeya is much better than that in the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan with lots of knee and headroom for passengers and it could fit three children across or two larger adults with ease. There is also a touchscreen in the rear that controls the climate, audio and for those cars with electric/heated/ventilated seats, all of that as well.
The front cargo area in the 2024 Lotus Emeya can hold 31-litres of storage, which is enough for the car’s charging cables. Open the power tailgate and 509-litres of storage with the seats in place (the four-seater is rated at 426L) and 1,388L with the rear seats folded (the four-seat layout seats do not fold) is on offer.
What warranty covers the Lotus Emeya?
The Lotus Emeya range is covered with a five-year/150,000km warranty and the battery is covered for eight-years or 200,000km, whichever comes first. There is also five years of roadside assistance.
Lotus is yet to announce service pricing for the Emeya, though its service intervals are once every two years or every 30,000km (whichever comes first).
Should I buy a Lotus Emeya?
The Lotus Emeya is a car that you walk away from feeling like you’ve just driven something special. It has an air of supercar to it in that sense, but is also a practical family sedan that can hold five passengers in luxury. It grabs attention when driving past, which helps in making the Lotus Emeya feel like a special car. There’s no doubt that Lotus is a new company now and this, arguably its flagship, has proven that – gone are the company ethos’ of light weight and fun handling and in their place are words like luxury.
In this sense, the Emeya does not feel like a Lotus of the past but in some ways, we think that’s a good thing. Making a luxury car clearly pays dividends in terms of profit and so on, and with the Emeya, Lotus is in a good position to prove to buyers that it has what it takes to make a great luxury car. Fast, luxurious and practical, the Emeya deserves to be on your test drive list if you’re lucky enough to afford one.
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