Lotus To Reveal Two New Sports Cars This Summer, SUV Four Years Out


Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales recently confirmed the company was working on two new sports cars and it appears we’ll learn a lot more about them this summer.

Speaking with Auto News Europe, Gales said Geely has approved the models and “We will tell you what they are in five months, but both will come in 2020.” He went on to say they will be the first all-new models since the company introduced the Evora in 2009.

Gales wouldn’t be drawn into specifics but he did suggest the cars will set a benchmark in terms of “handling, aerodynamics and lightweight.” That’s not much to go on but Gales has previously said one of the models will replace an existing vehicle such as the Elise, Exige or Evora. A new Elise is considered the most likely option and a 2020 launch was mooted in the past.

The other model is a bit more mysterious but reports have suggested it will be a track-focused car that will replace the 3-Eleven.

Besides the two new sports cars, Gales confirmed they are working on a crossover but it won’t arrive for “about four years.” The executive said the design hasn’t been finalized but he hinted it should be recognizable as a Lotus even though the company “can’t use the same design language as a sports car.”

Gales went on to suggest the crossover will be about the same size as either the Porsche Macan or Cayenne. He also noted the company will use a “mix of new and proven Geely family modules and combine them to create an aesthetically beautiful performance crossover.”

The executive suggested the crossover could be built in two different locations and one of them will likely be in China as it “makes the most sense” given the size of the market.

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