Monday, August 3, 2015

Lotus Crossover To Be Inspired By The 3-Eleven


Though it’s no longer a mystery that Lotus plans to develop an SUV and launch it by 2020, details as to what it might bring to the table are still scarce. And as is the case with family vehicles coming from sports car manufacturers, our main concern about Lotus’ first-ever crossover is whether it will live up to its badge. Well, we won’t find out for sure until it hits dealerships some four years for now, but company CEO Jean-Marc Gales claims it will be unlike any other sporty crossover launched before now.

"It looks like a Lotus SUV, it looks lightweight, and it will drive like no other SUV because it will be much lighter," Gales told CAR, which adds that the vehicle will be about the size of a Porsche Macan, but will sit lower and weight up to 660 pounds less. Motivation will reportedly come from four-cylinder and V-6 engines, as well as a hybrid drivetrain.

What about styling? According to Gales, the crossover "will look stunning." It’s front fascia will feature cues from the 3-Eleven, "plus hints of the 1974 Elite and other Lotus cars." It all sounds great here, but the reference to the 1974 Elite is a bit weird. That’s because the second-gen Elite employed a wedge design and featured a pointy noise and an overall boxy shape. You don’t get to see that nowadays and Lotus quit making wedge-designed cars in 2004, when the Esprit was discontinued.

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