Lotus will add a rival to the electric Porsche Macan to its Australia range, but the new SUV is still a long way off from Australia.
The new Type 134 SUV – as it’s known internally – will sit below the Eletre SUV and Emeya sedan in Australia, offering a cheaper entry point for buyers. Currently, both electric Lotus models kick off at $189,990 before on-road costs Down Under.
The Type 134 will be the biggest seller for Lotus locally… when it touches down in 2026.
“We’re probably looking at 2026 calendar year, we will see what’s known at the moment as Type 134,” Lotus Cars Australia COO Richard Gibbs told CarExpert.
“Then sometime in probably mid-to-late 2027 we get what’s known as Type 135, and that is a two-door battery electric sports car.”
The new SUV will be a key cog in a plan to have Lotus selling up to 2000 cars per year in Australia.
Under the skin, it’s expected to share its electrical platform with the Eletre and Emeya.
That platform is designed to support batteries between 92kWh and 112kWh in capacity, and in the Eletre and Emeya is good for outputs up to 675kW and 985Nm using dual-motor all-wheel drive.
According to UK publication Auto Express, it will undercut the new Porsche Macan EV on price.
The new Macan EV kicks off at $128,400 before on-road costs in Australia, and extends to $184,400 before on-roads for the most powerful Turbo model.
Following the Type 134 will be the first electric Lotus sports car, currently known as Type 135.
Details are thin on the ground, save for a shadowy teaser that suggests it’ll have a wedge-shaped body.
Mr Gibbs said “we’re not quite sure yet what Type 135 [will be]. Whether it’s going to be an Emira-priced, Emira-sized, Emira-market car, or if it’s going to go another end of the market”.
“All we do know is it’ll be quick, it’ll be electric, it’ll start with an ‘E’, and it’ll drive like a Lotus.”
MORE: Everything Lotus
