After all the anticipation surrounding their arrival, the first “Chinese” cars have officially landed in Canada, more specifically in Montreal.

In reality, the Canadian market has already featured vehicles built in China for some time, including certain Polestar models, the Lincoln Nautilus and the Buick Envision. However, what British automaker Lotus is celebrating today is the arrival of its new Eletre models, assembled in China by the brand's new owner, Chinese giant Geely, led by entrepreneur Li Shufu.

These vehicles are being described as the “first Chinese cars” because they are among the first 49,000 vehicles authorized to enter the country under the terms established by the Canadian government, at what is considered a reasonable tariff. It should be noted that there are about six Lotus dealerships in Canada, including the Groupe John Scotti location in Montreal. The others are located in Quebec City, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

The vehicles in question are Lotus Eletres, and Quebec dealer John Scotti Lotus, also known as Lotus Montreal, has acquired more than 20 of them, in addition to a few high-end Carbon models. This purchase will allow the dealership to move into a new building over the coming months. Lotus Montreal is part of Groupe John Scotti Automotive, which also owns, among other franchises, the Lamborghini dealership in the west end of the island.

To mark the occasion, Massimiliano Trantini, President and CEO of Lotus Americas, travelled to Montreal, more specifically to the Montreal Science Centre in the Old Port, where a private invitation-only event was held featuring the vehicle's unveiling and private test drives.

The Lotus Eletre is a full-size all-electric super SUV capable of carrying four occupants. It has been available on the European market for about three years. In base form, this spectacular all-wheel-drive vehicle is powered by two electric motors producing some 603 horsepower, thanks to its 112 kWh battery.

The Eletre is offered in four trims, starting with the base model priced at C$119,000. The Touring and Sport versions are listed at C$129,000 and C$139,000 respectively, while the most upscale version, the Carbon — which features carbon-fibre accents and 905 horsepower — is priced at C$179,000. All of these vehicles are assembled at the Wuhan Lotus Cars Co. Ltd. plant in the Chinese city of the same name.

If the automaker moves forward with its Focus 2030 plans, a few more new models should join the Eletre and the current gasoline-powered Emira. These include the Type 135 Supercar, successor to the legendary Esprit, a plug-in hybrid vehicle powered by a 1,000-horsepower twin-turbo V8 scheduled to be unveiled for 2028, as well as the Emeya sedan. As for the Emira, new 420 Sport and Scura versions are expected, along with an all-new V6 engine.

It is also worth noting that Groupe John Scotti has been a Lotus dealer for several years. John Scotti's trusted right-hand man, Bernard Durand, had been overseeing the brand since the mid-1980s. He was honoured during the Montreal presentation as he officially announced his retirement. His successor, Roberto Soccio, was also on hand.

(Photos: Éric Descarries)