Lotus SUV?

[Elanlover]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/autossu ... spartanntp

[Giniw]

Mmm....
I honestly don't understand the urge to buy something reputed for a particular thing, and then doing the complete opposite, killing the original concept that everyone likes.
Here it's a sportscar brand, reputed for its lightness, but it the same thing for the huge mini or the huge fiat 500 ...
I just don't understand.

[alan e]

If it keeps Lotus out of the red and still making cars I am all for it.

[Giniw]

Well yes I can understand there are economic constraints, too.

[lotusflasherman]

Don't care if they design it and build it but it should have a Volvo badge and not diminish the Lotus badge. Will make a mockery of the B pillar badge on my Eclat that shows years Lotus won F1 Championship. Don't think Cayanne improved image of Porsche either.

[Simon_P]

Gents,
You need to be more positive - Imagine what Lotus can bring to the world of SUVs! Perhaps what they did for front wheel drive....and we know how well that turned out!

They need to do whatever it takes to survive.

[Rusty Wishbone]

You've got to sell what the customer wants to buy.
Otherwise you become Vauxhall.
No one wants a Vauxhall.
Customers want SUVs.
QED

[Giniw]

Customers want SUVs.

Indeed (or maybe they want what is advertised and what their neighbour have but anyway), but with that in mind you end up with a very uniform and boring market, you never make something brand new and revolutionary.
And more importantly, they sell in a niche market. I am not so sure they could beat a major car company in a mass produced car. So if that stays a niche market, I am not sure a SUV will improve their sporty image either.

[lotusflasherman]

I did a management course in the mid '80's and one of the course books was "In Search of Excellence" by Tom Peters. Chapter called "Stick to the knitting" (stay with the business you know) was considered a key management concept for success in business. He cited numerous businesses that had failed just going into the wrong product area and I've seen many fail since. Doesn't mean you should'nt continue to develop but stick to what you are expert in. Lotus is renowned for lightweight structures and development of petrol engines.

Just think what the SUV development costs are likely to be, divide that by the numbers likely to be sold, add the unit build cost with overheads and you've got the price for breaking even. Add profit, car taxes etc and reckon you're in a niche market .. more profit in turning out more Evora variants and a few new models based on that platform. Most SUV's are stinky diesels and I don't remember Lotus having any reputation for development of diesel engines.

Lotus developed the Elise aluminium bonded tub in the '90's and have built every model based on the process since so development costs have been well spread. I wouldn't particularly like to use one regularly on salted roads because of the effect on aluminium and it's not suited to SUV structure and use - unless they are just building a 'Chelsea tractor'.

[C3LOS]

As the car will be based on a Volvo, the costs to develop and produce will see somewhat tiny in comparison to starting from scratch (as they did with the bonded structure). The biggest risk will be on the brand value. Porsche had to take the risk as they were financially in the poo but came out the other side, only to be part of the VW group and in some countries they are seen to be a 4x4 car company not a sports car company.
With Geely backing them, investment and a platform from Volvo is there for them to do this. But will the brand value go up or down?
I work for Aston and the DBX has helped us build our portfolio and strengthened the brand..can Lotus do the same? Only time will tell.

[Scott J]

Porsche had to take the risk as they were financially in the poo but came out the other side, only to be part of the VW group and in some countries they are seen to be a 4x4 car company not a sports car company.

IN SOME COUNTRIES, I think you mean in every single market they are in, 70% of production and 80% of profit is SUVs, sports cars are a minority for them, days of 907 917, 956, 962, ancient history, rebranded VW junk now .

[Simon_P]

Phil,
Geely know their knitting and have the money.
what you are saying is that a tub that was OK 20 years ago is OK now.... For how much longer?
Lotus simply don't appear to have the cash for new development, so if they need to sell an SUVs in order to generate enough cash to develop a few new niche sports cars I'm all for it - see also Lotus Cortina, and Lotus Sunbeam. It was ever thus!

Carl,
Aston also had the Cygnet. Not a great success but no lasting damage, if the latest spin is to be believed it could end up being positive and collectable...

[Simon_P]

Most SUV's are stinky diesels and I don't remember Lotus having any reputation for development of diesel engines.

I think you'll find that Lotus Engineering had quite a reputation for developing all sorts of things for all sorts of people.

[ElanBRG]

If Lotus are primarily targeting the US market with this SUV, then they are absolutely doing the right thing.

It's all about SUV's over here. In the US, cars are no longer the best sellers. And very few, if any, are diesels. Jag, Porsche, Maserati, Bentley, and now even Lambo are latching on to the trend. Lotus won't be able to make the best performing SUV, unfortunately, because Lambo already did that with a $200k-300K price tag, but they'll be able to do the usual formula of a contender that costs a lot less than a Lamborghini.

A Lotus SUV should do very well here.

[Dave Eds]

Made in China, sold in China, profits reinvested in Hethel models. What's not to like?

[theelanman]

I hate SUVs......and Id buy one

[lotusflasherman]

Read interview with Gales and he said Lotus built 1600 cars last year and they are talking about 10,000 SUV's - so will be built in China, not Narfuk.
Might make money for the group but if it's based on a Volvo put a Volvo badge on it.
Interested to see if Lotus can build an All Wheel Drive system to match Subaru's ... and will they put it on a sportscar? If they do it will go round corners superbly but be so BORING! Might as well make it 'driverless' too.

[ElanBRG]

"but if it's based on a Volvo put a Volvo badge on it"

No one else is doing that when they base their SUV on a different brand's SUV, so why should Lotus?

[lotusles]

Gents,
You need to be more positive - Imagine what Lotus can bring to the world of SUVs! Perhaps what they did for front wheel drive....and we know how well that turned out!

They need to do whatever it takes to survive.

I was an Engineer working for Lotus at the time of the launch of the M100 and I can assure you the Dealers hated it claiming it wasn't anything that Colin would have put his name to. How times change.

[Simon_P]

Agreed still considered by many as " not a proper lotus" , that was my point, who are we to judge?

Technically the Elan is an interesting car - In the same way Lotus could produce an interesting SUV.