Lotus Emeya EV Makes ASEAN Debut in Thailand – Malaysia Next?

The Lotus Emeya EV GT has made its maiden ASEAN debut in Thailand, at the ongoing 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show.

Aside from the Kia EV5, the 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) has seen yet another new EV model make its maiden ASEAN debut. Coming from Lotus this time around, the British marque has officially launched its EV GT saloon fighter into the Thai market, the Lotus Emeya.

For the Thai market, the Emeya is available in two powertrain configurations, namely the baseline Emeya S and the range-topping Emeya R. Starting with the former, the Emeya S gets a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup rated at 603 HP (450 kW) and 710 NM, allowing a fast century sprint time of 4.15 seconds and a capped V-Max of 205 KM/H.

Meanwhile, the top-spec Emeya R gets a peppier dual-motor AWD setup with a whopping total system output of 905 HP (675 kW) and 985 NM. This enables a sub-3-second century sprint time of 2.78 seconds for the EV GT, while its top speed has been increased marginally to 256 KM/H.

Both the Lotus Emeya variants are juiced by the smae 102-kWh NMC battery pack, garnering a maximum EV range of up to 610 KM (WLTP).

Battery-wise, both the Thai-spec Emeya S and Emeya R get the same 102-kWh NMC unit that is good for a maximum WLTP range of 610 KM on the former model. The Emeya R, on the other hand, sacrificed some of its range in favour of peppier performance, with the same battery unit garnering it a reduced WLTP range of 485 KM instead.

Underpinning the same Electric Premium Architecture (EPA) as the Eletre, the Emeya features the same 800-volt battery setup as its tall-riding sibling, enabling it to handle DCFC at up to 350 kW, while the AC figure is capped at 22 kW. The former method sees a 10-80% charge being completed in just 18 minutes, while the 22 kW OBC can fully charge the Emeya in about 8.5 hours.

Besides sharing a similar EV architecture, the Emeya also comes with the same electronic air suspension system as the Eletre, plus Lotus’ proprietary ICC intelligent torque distribution system. This trick system allows its full-time AWD setup to send power to each of the four wheels variably, promising better and faster cornering performance.

The Emeya comes in a sporty GT saloon body style, brimmed with active aero parts.

Visually, the Emeya stood as the sportier version of the Eletre EV SUV, featuring a sleek GT saloon body style. Aside from its sporty dual-stack LED matrix headlights and riding on 22-inch wheels, the Emeya also comes with a host of active aero parts, including its rear diffuser, dual-layer rear spoiler, and many more. Altogether, these active aero parts offer the Emeya a net downforce of more than 215 KG.

On board, the Thai-spec Emeya comes in both four- and five-seater configurations, with the displayed unit here at BIMS featuring the former setup. Besides the novel digital side mirror cameras and full panoramic glass roof, other key tech equipment included here are the massive central infotainment display, sporty seats with tons of upholstery options made from recycled and sustainable materials, and the KEF 3D audio system that comes in both 15-speaker and 23-speaker forms.

The Lotus Emeya is poised to go against the likes of the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT.

Set to go against the likes of the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT, the Lotus Emeya is now available for orders in the Thai market. Prices start at THB 5.99 million (RM778,759) for the baseline Emeya S, while the range-topping Emeya R is priced higher at THB 6.89 million (RM895,768).

As of now, Lotus Cars Malaysia has yet to reveal any plans to bring the Emeya EV into our market, with the sole EV model offered here being the Eletre SUV. With the Emeya now officially making its landfall in ASEAN, we can expect order books for this EV GT to be open very soon, perhaps some time later in 2024.