Back in 2021, Lotus previewed its future lineup of EV models that it plans to launch starting from 2022 all the way to 2026. Among the models teased was the Type 132, which eventually became the Eletre hyper SUV. And now, the carmaker itself has just shared some juicy details about its potential rival to the upcoming Porsche Macan EV – the Type 134, which is expected to be the brand’s volume seller, selling around 75,000 units each year by 2028, which is half of the firm’s annual sales, reported Autocar.
The Type 134 is essentially an electric SUV that will be positioned under the recently launched Lotus Eletre and will serve as an entry point to the British sports carmaker’s revamped line-up. Sized smaller than its bigger brother the Eletre, the Type 134 is set to compete against major rivals like the upcoming Porsche Macan EV.
Lotus described the entry-level model as an SUV “engineered to look, feel, and drive like a Lotus”. The Type 134 is also said to share technology with the Lotus Eletre hyper SUV and the upcoming Type 133.
Lotus Commercial Vice-President, Mike Johnstone said, “A lot of effort has gone into ensuring the future cars that we introduce to the market handle in a way that you would expect a Lotus to handle. Take Eletre: the attributes team have been involved in its development, people who understand what a Lotus should feel like and drive”
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The Geely-owned company has yet to share firm details about the car. But according to Johnstone, the Type 134 will be utilising a different platform which is speculated to be a variant of the Electric Premium Architecture (EPA) designed for smaller models.
Johnstone also said that the Type 134 will be under five metres long and will most likely be sized similarly to the Polestar 4. This makes it a rival to the upcoming Porsche Macan EV.
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Because of the Type 134’s more affordable positioning, as well as its smaller size, it will also as a result feature smaller battery options, compared to the Lotus Eletre. But as with the Eletre, one can expect the compact SUV to have a strong focus on aerodynamics, featuring the brand’s aerodynamic ‘porosity’ design. As a byproduct, this also improves the car’s performance.
Johnstone insisted on ensuring the Type 134 will maintain the brand’s core philosophy of performance and driving dynamics throughout the compact SUV’s development. “It isn’t just an electrified SUV with a Lotus badge on it: it’s been engineered from the beginning to look, feel and drive like a Lotus,” he said. According to the company’s plans, the Type 134 electric SUV is also scheduled to be launched after the brand’s Type 133 all-electric sedan.
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