The Lotus Emeya enters the Chinese market with four trim levels and a wide price range of 668,000 – 1,180,000 yuan (93,750 – 165,600 USD). This super sedan has up to 675 kW, a 650 km range, and a luxurious four-seat interior. The Lotus Emeya will hit the European markets in H2 2024.
Lotus was previously a British manufacturer of performance cars. Due to financial instability, Lotus changed hands frequently. In 1996, the British car maker ended up under the Malaysian Proton. And after 21 years, Geely Group acquired both Proton and Lotus. The ex-British car maker’s electric vehicles are now developed and manufactured in Wuhan, China.
In 2022, Lotus launched its first volume EV, the Eletre crossover. Now, the Lotus Emeya has also entered the Chinese market. The Lotus Emeya got a Chinese name for the local market. It is “繁花” (Fanhua, Flourishing Blossom).
Lotus Emeya exterior
The Lotus Emeya is a large, sporty sedan with cool styling. Its front end has two-tier thin day running lights and a slopped bonnet line. The headlights sit in the Emeya’s front bumper. This saloon also has a low beltline, retractable door handles, and a sleek roofline.
Aside from looking cool, Emeya also offers some fascinating aerodynamic solutions. It has an active air intake in the front, an active front spoiler, an active rear spoiler, and a rear diffuser. The active front spoiler deploys automatically at speeds over 110 km/h, creating a 76-kg downforce. The rear spoiler of the Lotus Emeya activates at speeds above 90 km/h and provides up to 215 kg of downforce.
The exact dimensions of the Lotus Emeya are 5139/2005/1459 mm with a wheelbase of 3069 mm. For clarity, it is 176 mm longer, 39 mm wider, and 64 mm higher than the Porsche Taycan. According to Lotus, 12 body elements of this super sedan are made of carbon (including the bonnet, roof, and bumpers).
The Lotus Emeya has body colors: White, Yellow, Black, Gray, Orange, and Matte Black (for the R+ Black Gold trim only).
Lotus Emeya interior
Inside, the Lotus Emeya stays close to the Eletre SUV. It has a large center screen with a diameter of 15.1 inches. The steering wheel of this super sedan has four spokes and a flat bottom. Behind the wheel, we can see paddle shifters and an extremely thin instrument cluster with a diameter of 12.6 mm. The front passenger of the Lotus Emeya has also got this 12.6-inch LCD ‘strip’.
The Lotus Emeya’s seats are wrapped in Nappa and Alcantara leather. This sedan has a large sunroof. As standard, the Emeya has 15 KEF-branded speakers inside. Higher trims have 23 speakers from the famous British audio products maker. The Lorus Emeya has five seats as standard. But the four-seat layout is available as an option.
The Lotus Emeya has four interior color options: Moonstone (gray), Amber (yellow & white), Tourmaline (black), and Black (for the R+ Black Gold trim only).
The Lotus Emeya has 34 driving assist sensors, including 4 LiDARs and 2 4D millimeter-wave radars. It assists smart highway driving and automatic parking.
Lotus Emeya powertrain options
The Lotus Emeya has two powertrain options:
- Two e-motors, 4WD (Emeya, Emeya S+)
- 450 kW, 710 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 4.15 seconds, top speed of 250 km/h
- 102-kWh ternary NMC battery, 650 km range (CLTC)
- Three e-motors, 4WD (Emeya R+)
- 675 kW, 985 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 2.78 seconds, top speed of 256 km/h
- 102-kWh ternary NMC battery, 520 km range (CLTC)
According to the official data, the Emeya with three electric motors is faster than the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which accelerates to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds. Additionally, the Lotus Emeya R+ has a 2-speed automatic transmission. Other fine features of the Emeya are air suspension, rear-wheel steering, and optional 10-piston brake calipers in the front.
Lotus Emeya price range
The Lotus Emeya has four trim levels within a price range of 668,000 – 1,180,000 yuan (93,750 – 165,600 USD).
- Lotus Emeya – 668,000 yuan (93,750 USD)
- Lotus Emeya S+ – 768,000 yuan (107,800 USD)
- Lotus Emeya R+ – 968,000 yuan (135,800 USD)
- Lotus Emeya R+ Black Gold – 1,180,000 yuan (165,600 USD)
The Lotus Emeya has also got lots of extra options to choose from. Here are just a few examples:
- 10-piston brake calipers – 100,000 yuan (14,000 USD)
- Exterior carbon package – 30,000 yuan (4,200 USD)
- 4-seat interior layout – 30,000 yuan
- Electrically powered doors – 15,000 yuan (2,100 USD)
- KEF sound system with 23 speakers – 35,000 yuan (4,900 USD)
- Cameras instead of side-view mirrors – 16,000 yuan (2,250 USD)
So, the Lotus Emeya has lots of extra options and packages. With all of them applied, the maximum price of this sedan reaches 1,380,000 yuan (193,650 USD). However, the domestically-assembled Emeya is still cheaper than the top-trim Porsche Taycan, which costs up to 1,830,000 yuan (256,800 USD) in China. So, the Lotus Emeya can potentially shake the luxury EV segment in China. As mentioned, Emeya will start sales in Europe in H2 this year. Stay tuned!
It seems the west is using all it’s power to keep us from having access to (affordable) EVs because they come from China and nobody is on the level of China.