Lotus Emeya test drive: Subtle grand tourer with blistering performance

Lotus has gone through changes in recent years. The kind of models the brand was famous for producing were easily recognisable in their guise as tiny tearaways with the kind of speed and agility generally only displayed by hummingbirds. Not so much now, though.

Ever since the manufacturer from Norfolk – an area in the UK many would recognise as being the home of Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge character – was bought by Chinese car giant Geely, things have got larger.

First came the Lotus Eletre, an electric super SUV with some mind-boggling performance figures and a vehicle quite unlike anything the brand had conceived before. Now we have the Emeya, the manufacturer’s second non-fossil-fuel-powered offering and another one that no one would have expected to bear the company’s yellow-and-green badge.

This slope-backed grand tourer is classified as a hyper GT vehicle and, as that description might suggest, its performance figures are just as impressive as its heftier sibling. The Emeya has a top speed of 256 kph, which admittedly isn’t earth shattering, but it’ll do 0-100kph in 2.7 seconds.

It is one of those vehicles that hides its blistering performance figures under the guise of what casual observers might consider to merely be a posh sedan. Nice looking then, and evidently a luxury option for sure, but not something that gives the impression it’ll rip the wheel arches off many a supercar in the speed stakes.

Appearances can most certainly be deceptive. Blind speed aside, Lotus has managed to retain something of the agility of its past glories with the Emeya. The brand has evidently done some work when it comes to steering and all-over control, as it handles like a much smaller and lighter car.

The sensation of speed is not as great as can be found in vehicles which are rather closer to the ground, but, make no mistake, the Emeya is still pretty exciting to rip around in. The ride quality is notable, with the car absorbing all the bumpy bits with ease.

Charging times have to be referenced with all electric vehicles, and the Emeya does extremely well in this department. The battery can be juiced up from 10 to 80 per cent in less than 15 minutes.

Inside, the Emeya has plenty of carbon-fibre stylings, with the seat coverings apparently created out of cloth offcuts from unnamed fashion brands. It’s terrifically spacious, outdoing many of its rivals, which is a definite bonus in a vehicle with this kind of performance.

Tech mirrors that of the Eletre, with a centrepiece 15.6-inch infotainment screen that is, apparently, fitted with one of the fastest processors in the automotive industry.

Like one of its closest rivals, the Porsche Taycan, the Emeya really is a supercar that can be used every day, rather more so than the cramped and low-slung vehicles some manufacturers make similar claims about.

It would suit the kind of person who fancies a ridiculously high-performance vehicle that looks more subtle than a lot of similarly spec’d cars on the road today. It’s just unusual enough to make it a little bit different as well.