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Lotus SUV may be coming to America

Photo: Philippe Champoux
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Josée Paquet

Remember that promise of a Lotus SUV? Company president and CEO Jean-Marc Gales recently told Automotive News Europe that Lotus plans to build its first-ever SUV in China and export it to Europe and possibly in the U.S. as well.

A Lotus SUV may hit the market by 2019 and rival the likes of the Porsche Macan. A prototype will see the light of day sometime in the next 12 months through a joint venture with China's Goldstar Heavy Industrial.

Jean-Marc Gales also said that the future Lotus SUV will be true to the brand's tradition of offering super-lightweight, high-performance cars. It will feature a steel and aluminum platform and weight around 1,500-1,600kg. That would make this SUV some 100-200kg lighter than the Macan and Audi Q5. 

Pricing is expected to undercut the Porsche, too. A hybrid powertrain may also be offered.

Sales of the Lotus SUV are projected to reach 5,000 units annually. North American availability could be announced between now and then.

Josée Paquet
Josée Paquet
Automotive expert