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Lotus Eletre – Hyper SUV with KEF Reference Sound System

The KEF Premium Sound System, or even the KEF Reference Sound System in the new Lotus Eletre, is the latest result of a partnership that the renowned English loudspeaker specialist KEF has entered into with the traditional English car brand Lotus Cars in 2021. Together they want to advance premium audio in the automotive sector, was the credo of the two companies on the occasion of the presentation of the partnership between KEF and Lotus Cars in July last year. The new Lotus Eletra is not the first vehicle to be equipped with a KEF audio system as a result of the cooperation between KEF and Lotus Cars, but it does feature a number of outstanding innovations.

Lotus Emira first car to feature KEF Premium Sound System

The first Lotus Cars vehicle to be equipped with a KEF Premium Sound System was, as is well known, the Lotus Emira, which was also presented for the first time in July 2022 and which Lotus Cars describes as a mid-engined sports car based on Lotus Cars’ new Sports Car Architecture.

It was interesting to note that Lotus Cars stated at the presentation of the Lotus Emira that it would probably be the company’s last vehicle to rely exclusively on combustion engines.

It is therefore hardly surprising that the latest vehicle from Lotus Cars equipped with a KEF sound system is a purely electric vehicle, namely the new Lotus Eletre.

Lotus Eletre – The new electric Hyper SUV from Lotus Cars

Lotus Cars has now presented the new Lotus Eletre, which the British see as an Electric Hyper SUV. According to the company, the Lotus Eletre adopts the core principles and the Lotus DNA from more than 70 years of sports car design and technology. Based on this, they have now developed a completely new concept of a desirable, completely new lifestyle car.

The Lotus Eletre has an elegant yet exotic appearance with active aerodynamics and a dramatic open design concept. The use of ground-breaking, sustainable materials ensures a new level of premium for every drive, says Lotus Cars about the new Lotus Eletre.

Redefines innovation

Even, or perhaps precisely, because the new Lotus Eletre is an electric vehicle, it is designed to deliver the true Lotus experience, Lotus Cars is convinced. Optimal structural rigidity and active dynamics, combined with a perfect blend of high power and torque, offer the kind of performance you expect from a Lotus, the company says. With powerful electric motors and a low centre of gravity, this new vehicle makes ordinary driving special and thus has the potential to become Lotus Cars’ new icon.

The new Lotus Eletre is all-wheel drive, has a battery capacity of over 100 kWh and a power output of 600 hp. The Lotus Eletre is a bold new dimension to the Lotus performance car portfolio and represents a series of firsts for Lotus Cars – the first five-door production car, the first model outside the sports car segment, the first lifestyle electric car and the “most connected” Lotus ever.

On board: KEF Premium Sound System and KEF Reference Sound System with KEF Uni-Q Technology

How could it be otherwise, of course, the new Lotus Eletre is also equipped with an audio system specially designed for the automotive sector by KEF. Once again, the renowned English loudspeaker specialist relies on the unique KEF Uni-Q drivers, which are really showcased in the best possible way and blend seamlessly into the interior of the vehicle. The special feature here is that the KEF Uni-Q drivers do not even need a cover, so that their special design as a coaxial loudspeaker driver, with the tweeter and wave guide in the centre of the midrange driver, is also visually, and not only acoustically, effective.

KEF’s unique Uni-Q Technology, as just described, combines tweeter and midrange drivers into an acoustically idealised point source, for a more coherent, hyper-realistic sound experience.

Even the standard KEF Premium Sound System uses no fewer than 15 loudspeaker systems distributed throughout the Lotus Eletre’s interior, delivering a whopping 1,380 watts of sound to fully immerse occupants in surround sound technology.

What’s more, buyers of a Lotus Eletre can opt for an optional upgrade, as a KEF Reference Sound System is available on request. This uses no fewer than 23 speaker systems inside the Lotus Eletre, powered by a whopping 2,160 watts and featuring 3D Surround Sound Technology.

The KEF Reference Sound System in the Lotus Eletre also features KEF Uni-Core Technology, a groundbreaking new approach to speaker and subwoofer design that redefines size and performance.

Prices and availability

Those who are excited about the new Lotus Eletre will have to be patient for a while yet. According to the information currently available, a market launch is not to be expected until next year.

Getting to the point

From KEF’s point of view, the partnership with Lotus Cars should be seen not least from the point of view of a so-called deepening brand affiliation, i.e. the possibility to address completely new customer groups and to inspire them with the advantages of their own products. KEF‘s choice of Lotus Cars, one of the most prestigious British car brands, is intended to underline the high quality standards that the company has been pursuing with its own loudspeaker systems for years. And indeed, the KEF Uni-Q drivers, which will soon be found in the new Lotus Eletre, represent something quite exceptional in the automotive sector.

BrandKEF
ManufacturerKEF
DistributionGP Acoustics GmbH
More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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