Lotus Type 134 will take on the Porsche Macan in 2025

Lotus Eletre is finally going on sale shortly, starting in Europe, and the company has another vehicle undergoing its final road testing - the Type 133 known as Envya. In a recent interview with Autocar, Mike Johnstone (commercial chief) confirmed that Lotus is already working on its third vehicle - a much smaller SUV than the Eletre.

Although Johnstone was shy about the technical details, we can comfortably explore the possibilities. Since all Lotus vehicles are built on Geely’s EV platform, they share a lot of components with Polestar, Volvo, and Smart vehicles. The new smaller SUV is for now called Lotus Type 134 and will be much smaller than the 5.1-meter Eletre - Autocar suggests similar dimensions to Polestar 4.

If that indeed is the case, then we can expect a 4.8-meter electric SUV with the Lotus badge, and the company promises it won’t be just a badge exercise. It will handle like a Lotus, and it will be as efficient as its bigger sibling Eletre. That means a similar coupe-like shape pointing again at more similarities with the Polestar 4.

The Type 134 hasn’t got a name yet ,but it already has a tough target to achieve. Lotus wants to sell at least 75,000 units of it every year by the end of 2028. With the car slated to debut after the Envya sedan (Type 133), we’ll likely see the smaller SUV in 2025. Lotus has ambitious plans to sell at least 150,000 vehicles every year, and to achieve that, it’ll need more models. Type 134 is its entry ticket to the smaller vehicle and more affordable segment where the company hopes to make waves.

The Lotus Eletre is already in production, the first vehicles will be delivered to customers this summer ,and with a starting price of nearly €96,000 (Germany), the car offers a lot to customers. Top-of-the-range Eletre R starts at €150,990, and although it can’t match the Tesla Model X Plaid performance, it’s not far behind.

The Lotus Envya, currently known as Type 133, is a performance sedan sharing a lot of components with the Eletre. The company hasn’t officially unveiled the vehicle yet, but it looks like it is preparing for debut sometime around the Eletre’s first deliveries. The Type 133 has been spotted testing in China and running laps at the notorious Nurburgring, it will be an interesting alternative for Tesla Model S buyers.

With the Type 134 being smaller and more nimble than the much larger Eletre, the development team will put a lot of effort to ensure the car will handle as any Lotus should. The SUV will be a real contender to the new electric Porsche Macan, and both vehicles will be released within a short space of time from each other. Finally, electric car buyers are getting some choice, it is great to see some brands making a comeback and staying true to their values - although under new ownership and selling completely different products.

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