Lotus Emeya 首次试驾:电动之旅
The Hyper Grand Tourer brings the long-held vision of the Lotus into the all-electric era
The Lotus Emeya is an electric luxury tourer. It's big, powerful, and packed with technology. Following the Lotus Eletre electric SUV, the traditional perception of the Lotus has been redefined. This four-door sedan follows the new concept of Lotus. However, it's not a radical shift for the 76-year-old brand.
Back in the 80s of the 20th century, Colin Chapman, the owner of Lotus Motors, commissioned Paul Martin, a legendary Italian designer who had worked on models such as the Ferrari 512 Modulo and the Lancia Beta Montecarlo, to design a four-door GT sports car. The car was called the Lotus 2000 Eminence, and although it was never built, its legend lives on on the Emeya.
Outwardly, Emeya is very different from the Lotus 2000, but it is completely representative of the Lotus. It follows the same design language as the Eletre SUV as well as the Evija electric supercar. I had the opportunity to drive the new Emeya through southern Germany and into Austria to see how it performed. While this may not be a lightweight two-seater, it will compete with the Porsche Taycan and the upcoming Maserati GranTurismo Folgore.
Pricing and Availability
The Lotus Emeya debuted in September 2023 and is now on sale, with deliveries scheduled for July 2024. Interestingly, the starting price of the Emeya is the same as that of the Eletre SUV. Prices start at £89,500 for the standard model, with six colours to choose from (though Kaimu Grey is the default colour at no extra cost). There's also the Emeya S, which starts at £101,950 and the Emeya R, which starts at £129,950 and offers amazing power and acceleration figures.
For testing purposes, I drove the Lotus S and Lotus R models, which cost £129,503 and £165,053 respectively with options and add-ons.
Design and functionality
Emeya's silhouette is not your typical Grand Tourer. It's very streamlined, with a short, thick front and a cabin pushed forward, a nod to the mid-engined Lotus's past. The design features a black canopy, which helps to reduce the car's visual size, while the powerful wheel arches emphasise sporty performance.
Emeya has a variety of wheels to choose from, from 20-inch wheels for the base model to 21-inch for the S model to oversized 22-inch wheels for the R model. These larger wheels can be equipped with 10-piston ceramic brakes and high-performance tires for the R.
The Model R also comes standard with rear-wheel steering. It can dynamically transition between countersteer and parallel steering, helping to achieve a tighter turning radius and providing more stable lane changes at high speeds.
Another nod to Lotus's past is the sharp nose – whose styling is almost similar to that of the Elan – paired with L-shaped daytime running lights. The lights are also a reference to Lotus's past wing designs.
The entire design maintains a low drag coefficient, thanks not only to the streamlined shape, but also to the huge air curtains that extend from the triangular vents on the front grille (which open when needed) to the large vents at the rear (for ventilating the wheel arches). The vents alone add 16-17 km of range to the car.
At the rear, there is a powerful rear wing that can be raised at high speeds, providing up to 250 kg of downforce. There are also flaps that extend down to increase downforce even further – all of which are very popular and have a top speed of over 160 mph.
Digital mirrors, an option for Emeya, also help reduce drag – giving the camera a small lever instead of a larger mirror, which provides an image to the internal screen. These also help reduce blind spots, but may not be for everyone, which I'll get to later.
At the rear, an LED light strip runs the entire width of the car and can be used as a taillight or indicator light, and even a battery status bar when charging. A very ingenious feature is that the on-board LiDAR sensor is hidden under the flaps and only pops out when needed. It's a reference to the older Lotus pop-up headlights, but it keeps the design clean and more aerodynamic when not needed.
The interior is luxurious and similar in style to the Eletre. The dashboard has a clean design, and ambient lighting extends to the doors and footwells. The front comfort seats are sporty and offer extra comfort in sport mode and a massage function for long journeys.
The rear seats are available as an executive option, offering two fully adjustable seats, separated by a central column. This replaces the three-seater bench, provides a larger display for rear passengers, and provides a larger subwoofer for the stereo.
technology
Emeya is full of technology, even in places you wouldn't expect. Cameras and sensors cover the entire car, with a total of 33 in the body. These include 4 LiDAR sensors, 6 radars, 11 cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors (USS), all for autonomous driving functions, parking sensors, and mirrors.
Inside, in the center of the dashboard is a large 15.1-inch OLED screen. However, there is also a smaller display bar behind the steering wheel to show driving dynamics, and in front of the passenger seat there is a media message that is currently playing.
A head-up display is also provided. It's Lotus' all-new system with a wider display and a longer throw range, allowing you to keep an eye on the road while still seeing speed and navigation information. Unfortunately, as with most heads-up displays, polarized sunglasses can be difficult to see.
Lotus uses its own operating system, with maps provided by Here Maps and voice assistants provided by Cerence. Over-the-air updates will continue to expand the product range, and regular upgrades are already available for Eletre's systems.
There are currently a handful of apps on the Lotus App Store, including Spotify and Tidal for music streaming and some arcade-style games. However, you can also connect your phone wirelessly for full-screen control via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
On-board KEF audio offers Dolby Atmos, and the advanced Reference system options include 23 speakers and a subwoofer, which is truly impressive. The standard KEF system feels a bit bland at times, but it works better when playing classic tracks from the '80s than when playing a new Taylor Swift mix – perhaps more suitable for its potential users.
Thanks to pop-up lidar and a range of other sensors, Emeya has the hardware it needs to enable Level 4 autonomous driving. This is complete control of the car, and the driver doesn't even need to be on guard in case he needs to take over.
At the moment, though, it only offers a 2-level system, where you need to keep your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road. In practice, lane centering jumps between white lines more times than some of the systems I've tried, but overall it seems to be okay. I guess if you want to get to a level 2 or higher (hands don't on the wheel) or level 3 (eyes don't on the wheel) system, you'll need to do a couple of software updates.
Performance and range
Emeya's fast performance isn't just about acceleration. The on-board 102kWh battery uses an 800v architecture for charging up to 400kW. This means that you can charge from 10% to 80% in just 14 minutes. With a 350kW charger – which is probably the most powerful one available in the UK – it still takes just 18 minutes to charge. I tried it in Germany with a 350kW Ionity charger and it went from 50% to 99% in the time it took me to have a cup of coffee.
The large-capacity battery also brings a decent range. The Emeya S has a range of up to 379 miles, which is quite impressive for a vehicle of this type, although not quite as good as the Mercedes EQS. The more powerful Emeya R range can be reduced to about 300 miles.
The biggest difference between the Emeya models is the motor. The standard and S variants are equipped with dual 225kW front motors and 225kW rear motors that deliver 603hp (450kW), while the Emeya R is equipped with a more powerful 450kW rear motor for a total of 905hp (675kW). That's a big difference, with a 0-62mph acceleration time of 2.78 seconds instead of 4.15 seconds.
That's not to say that the Emeya S (or the standard version of Emeya) is slow. It's still faster than the Tesla Model 3 or Audi Q8 e-tron. Thanks to the active air suspension, the car feels steady on the road and handles like a much smaller model – a testament to the DNA of the Lotus, which doesn't feel like a 2.5-ton weight when cornering.
However, the Model R is no slouch compared to some of the new Porsche Taycan models. You can feel the extra power almost before you hit the throttle, and a single step on the throttle can bring incredible speed. Thanks to the intelligent anti-roll control, the Model R also feels stronger in corners and is able to handle any situation you encounter.
It's only on Germany's unrestricted motorway, when Emeya slows down from top speed, that you realize how big and heavy the car actually is. Luckily, the brakes on both cars are very good, with carbon-ceramic brake discs used in both front and rear of the R.
Conclusion – Should I buy a LOTUS EMEYA?
虽然我非常喜欢 Eletre,但 Emeya 更像是一辆驾驶者之车。 较低的驾驶位置和流线型车身让这款车的驾驶乐趣无穷,无论您驾驶的是 Emeya、Emeya S 还是 Emeya R。
The level of technology inside these cars is impressive, especially the potential of these sensors. The central screen is of good quality and I really like the thin display used by the driver and passengers – even if the passengers have very limited use. The operating system still feels a bit unfinished, but it's made great strides over the past year and will continue to improve with over-the-air updates.
What really sets Emeya apart from many potential competitors is the interior and exterior. It's not so much a premium car as a luxury car, on par with Maserati or Aston Martin. But the entry price is much lower.
For me, Emeya's closest competitor is the Porsche Taycan, which offers more models and starts at £86,500 (£3,000 cheaper than the entry-level Ereya). As with Porsche, many of Lotus's features are optional extras, so if you want driving assistance, the price can rise quickly – in the case of the car I tested, the price has risen by around £30,000.
Still, the Lotus Emeya is worth the money, and its stunning appearance is sure to appeal to buyers. If you want an electric luxury tourer, then the Emeya is one of the best options.