Lotus PH looking to sell "entry-level" Eletre for PHP 7 million

Yesterday, Lotus distributor Autohub Group electrified the first day of the 11^th Philippine EV Summit with the launch of the Eletre R hyper SUV. Now serving as the brand's flagship electric crossover SUV, the vehicle generates an impressive 917 PS with 985 Nm of torque, the ability to sprint from 0 – 100 km/h in 2.95 seconds, and a range of up to 490 km on a full charge.

With a special introductory price tag of PHP 9.999 million, the Lotus Eletre R generated plenty of buzz (and customer interest) when it was officially revealed. With a fully loaded and high-tech cabin that's powered by an all-electric powertrain, its price tag of less than PHP 10 million is looking a lot like a bargain especially when you remember that it has over 900 PS and nearly 1,000 Nm of torque.

But don't expect the R version to be the only variant Lotus will sell in the country. The top-of-the-line model will soon be joined by an entry-level version dubbed “Eletre” along with the mid-grade variant called the “Eletre S”.

Both the Eletre and Eletre S generate 612 PS and 710 Nm of torque. It also gets the same 112 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, giving both variants up to 600 km of range. When it comes to performance, both can catapult themselves from 0 – 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 258 km/h.

So what will be the starting price of the Lotus Eletre? According to a well-placed source, the company is looking to sell the base model of the electric crossover for around PHP 7 million. With a starting price like that, Lotus is putting some of its closest competitors on notice like the BMW iX which is currently selling for PHP 6.290M.

While the BMW is slightly more affordable, the Eletre's supposed starting price of PHP 7 million along with the fact that it comes with more features and amenities means customers might go for the Eletre instead.

As to when the regular Eletre and Eletre S will arrive in the country, the automaker is apparently looking at bringing them sometime next year.