Lotus SUV Might Not Be Made in the UK
Now that Lotus is owned by China’s Geely, expect some changes to be coming.
The British sports car maker is looking towards the future with the backing of Geely, which also owns Volvo. In a recent interview with Autocar, CEO Jean-Marc Gales confirmed sports car manufacturing will remain in Norfolk, England but was vague on where the future crossover will be built. “We stay in the U.K. for sports cars, what we do for other cars needs defining,” he said.
Lotus isn’t being shy about the prospects of producing a crossover, and believes it can introduce a model that will retain all of the company’s core values: light, aerodynamic, and excellent handling.
SEE ALSO: Volvo and Lotus are Now Owned by the Same Chinese Company
It sounds like the crossover is in its early design stages and the board hasn’t approved it just yet, which isn’t surprising with all the recent changes to the company. But with Geely’s backing, Gales says the future of Lotus is bright and believes Geely will play a major role in expanding Lotus sales worldwide. More importantly, Lotus will have access to parts within the Geely group and it won’t be afraid to use them. “Using parts of other brands, the option is there, but we need to keep our identity. Lotus’s identity is lightweight, aerodynamics, and handling.”
[Source: Autocar]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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