The idea of a Lotus SUV has been around with us for some time now, and the car maker from Norfolk still hasn’t abandoned it.
In fact, a year ago, Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales said the British firm is developing a “revolutionary” five-door crossover, while Proton, Group Lotus, and Goldstar Heavy Industrial have recently signed a 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) project in order to build an assembly plant in China – presumably for the future SUV.
Lotus confirming the model remains the last piece of the puzzle, but the Malaysian-owned company likes beating around the bush. According to Autoblog, Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales recently said that the SUV market is interesting:
“The SUV is an interesting market. We’re working on a concept but haven’t made a decision yet.”
Well, even if the SUV won’t make it into production in the near future – wink, wink – Lotus will still probably upset some of its fans and purists. When asked about a hybrid model, Gales explained that such a system adds weight, complexity, and takes up space – elements that go against Lotus’ core values.
But an EV might be something Lotus would consider, although not in the near future. In other words, Lotus would build an EV before a hybrid, but don’t hold your breath on it.
Note: 2006 Lotux APX Concept pictured
PHOTO GALLERY
