Lotus Eletrë

FIRST DRIVE We try the electric SUV that heralds a new era for British sports car maker

- Steve Sutcliffe

Electric motor Power/range 595bhp/373 miles

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.5 seconds/160mph

SUCH is the expectation around the A so easy is it to be cynical about this new 2.5-tonne electric hyper-SUV, Lotus has no room to spare with this car. In order to succeed - and to silence the cynics - the Eletre needs to be more than just good. It needs to be great.

So is the new £104,500 Eletre S good enough to propel Lotus back on to the world stage? Can it compete with the likes of Porsche, Lamborghini and Aston Martin? The answer is a resounding yes, but working out where Lotus now sits within the hierarchy of the world's best sports car makers is hard to pinpoint. The Eletre is priced to rival a high-end Jaguar but has the pace to make a Lamborghini Urus sit up and think; in terms of credibility - and pure dynamic ability - the Eletre is fantastic.

It's extraordinarily well made and features a seriously high-quality, hi-tech cabin that's intuitive to use and distinctive to look at. It's also very well packaged, with acres of space in the rear seats and boot.