Having endlessly previewed its latest model with a series of blink-and-you've-missed-it teaser vids, Lotus has finally announced itself ready to reveal the Type 132 to an expectant planet. Haters gonna hate, but make no mistake about it: the all-new, all-electric SUV is the most radical car Lotus has built in decades. The 2,000hp Evija was a pebble thrown in a small pond; the 132 is a reinforced concrete stepping stone to where the manufacturer wants to get to by the end of the decade.
Of course, for most of us, the fundamental idea of Lotus is about as far removed from SUVs and electric mobility as it's possible to be, bearing in mind Colin Chapman's philosophy of 'simplify, then add lightness' - so it's still something that needs coming to terms with. Hence the electric hypercar and the tip-toeing build-up to actually showing us how Lotus is going to compete with the sort of car that every premium manufacturer is going to build (if they aren't already).
Now, thanks to another teaser vid, we have a final date for that endgame. Among the shots of athletes limbering up and accelerating out the starting blocks are glimpses of bits we've seen before, including the wheel design, LED headlight, electric drivetrain and the dashboard. The best is saved for the finale, though - following the briefest drive-by possible, with the car's prominent glowing rear light bar disappearing into the distance, Lotus flashes up March 29th 2022. Let's call it E-day.
The product assault doesn't stop there. Lotus has already told us that three additional models will follow the Type 132. Type 134 is set to be another electric SUV (a slightly smaller one), while Type 133 is a four-door coupe, and Type 135 (the knee-trembler) is due to be the sports car that Lotus is building in partnership with Alpine. Don't expect to hear much about them next month - but brace yourself for what's coming nevertheless...
1 / 5
