Lotus global sales highest in a decade last year
Elise, Exige and Evora bowed out in 2021
Hethel reports a 24% year-on-year increase in sales in the final year of Elise, Evora and Exige production
Lotus sold 1710 new cars worldwide in 2021, a 24% year-on-year increase and its best performance in a decade.
In the final year of production for its Elise, Exige and Evora models, Lotus boosted global sales by 332 units over 2020, recording substantial growth in all key markets.
In its UK home market, for example, sales soared by 24%, while it noted a 37% increase in Belgium – its best performance in Europe – and a huge 111% uptick in the USA and Canada.
Elsewhere, Japan – Lotus's second biggest market – had its best year since 2015, and Qatar reported its best sales figures since Lotus entered the market in 2016. The firm sold its first new cars in Bahrain, Thailand and New Zealand for the first time in more than seven years.
The Elise was the best-selling model, which Lotus attributes to fans wanting to "secure a piece of automotive history via the highly specced Sport 240 Final Edition and the Cup 250 Final Edition models".
Lotus was unable to provide Autocar with detailed figures for each model's sales volumes.
Managing director Matt Windle said: "In difficult circumstances our retailers have delivered what was asked of them and more. It’s testament to their hard work, and that of our manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution teams around the world. A huge thank you to everyone involved – what a way to move into the era of Emira.”
The Emira, Lotus's first all-new series-production model since the Evora and its final combustion car, is due in dealerships in a matter of months. The first cars use the same 3.5-litre Toyota V6 as the Evora, but a cheaper version with a Mercedes-AMG turbocharged 2.0-litre engine is due in autumn.
The company is due to reveal its first series-production EV, the Type 132 SUV, in the coming months. A rival to the Jaguar I-Pace, it will spearhead a family of China-built mass-market Lotus EVs, while EV sports car production will get underway in Norfolk in 2026 with the arrival of the Type 135.