I had barely finished driving a Lotus Emira sports coupe for an article on my personal website when I got the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the all-new Eletre Super SUV from the same automaker.

Incidentally, if you didn't already know, the legendary British brand Lotus has, for the past few years, been owned by Chinese conglomerate Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd. (ZGH), which belongs to billionaire Li Shufu. Since then, Lotus has been working to shift its production toward electrification. Its very recent Eletre Super SUV, which has been sold in Europe for nearly three years, is the clearest example of that.

Lotus Americas saw an opportunity to market its Chinese-built Eletre in Canada following Ottawa's announcement allowing these electric SUVs to be sold here without the extraordinary tariffs imposed in the United States. The official announcement was recently made in Montreal, where the brand's local dealer was able to present this intriguing vehicle to potential customers and a few members of the local media.

I was one of those fortunate journalists invited to the presentation and, although the experience was a little too short for my liking, I still had the chance to drive the luxurious vehicle for an hour around the Montreal area.

My first impression was one of surprise at just how impeccably built the vehicle is. Too many people still assume that a Chinese vehicle must be cheaply assembled, bringing back memories of certain Eastern European cars from the 1970s that people used to mock. Think again. Even though this is a luxury SUV, it is easy to believe that this level of quality could also be found in more affordable models.

From the very first look, it is impossible not to admit that the assembly quality and finish are beyond reproach. The vehicle Lotus entrusted to me was, incidentally, the top-of-the-line Eletre Carbon, an impressive all-electric four-door Super SUV finished in matte grey with carbon-fibre body accents.

Without getting too deep into the technical details, this all-wheel-drive vehicle was powered by two electric motors delivering a combined 905 horsepower and 726 lb-ft of torque. Despite numbers that impressive, I was dealing with a “truck” that operated with smoothness, precision and near silence. For tire enthusiasts, this Eletre was fitted with Pirelli P Zero LTS Elect 275/35 R23 tires, specially designed for electric vehicles.

The interior is as simple as it is impressive. The dashboard is understated, but the massive centre screen makes it clear that everything needs to be adjusted before shifting into gear. Still, the basic controls make the operation easy, and the vehicle drives like a small urban car.

The seats are extremely comfortable and, once again, the finish is simply exemplary. I will spare you any unnecessary comments about the rear compartment, which accommodates two passengers in just as much comfort as the front seats. Despite the vehicle's size in urban driving, outward visibility is very good. To help matters further, Lotus has added cameras all around the vehicle, although my test drive was too short to fully assess them.

With the help of my “instructor,” Bernard Durand, Lotus specialist at John Scotti, I headed into the busy streets of Old Montreal before making my way to Autoroute Ville-Marie and then Highway 20 toward Toronto. That allowed me to experience the Eletre's road presence, with stable steering and powerful braking delivered by six-piston calipers clearly bearing the Lotus name.

Most importantly, I found an on-ramp that allowed me to explore its acceleration capabilities. My co-driver Bernard had the excellent idea of switching the drive mode to Track, while I deliberately ignored the Launch function, which would have allowed me to stage the vehicle for such a test. The moment the light turned green, I floored it.

Having some experience in auto racing and being the owner of a performance car myself, I was able to fully appreciate the Eletre's incredible acceleration. It was astonishing. I estimate its 0 to 100 km/h time at around three seconds. And that was with the more than 900-horsepower performance version. I have already read that even the base version, with some 603 horsepower, can achieve the same sprint in under five seconds.

Since my test time was limited, I had to settle for a few rolling acceleration runs before returning to city driving. Even so, I had no trouble slipping through traffic and making my way back to “civilization.” Parking the vehicle was also made easier by the SUV's many cameras.

I was not intimidated by testing a vehicle worth close to C$180,000 — I have driven others worth much more — but I was still reassured to know that it was priced at roughly half of what it costs in the U.S. market.

My conclusion? The drive was too short. I would have liked to cover about 400 kilometres to get a better sense of the Eletre's strengths and weaknesses. All I can hope is that Lotus continues to grow and that I will have the chance to drive the brand's other promised products, which seem just as exciting as this Eletre.

(Photos: Éric Descarries)