Lotus Emira review - Interior, design and technology

Exterior and interior styling and quality is possibly where the Lotus Emira makes the biggest jump over its immediate predecessor. Whether in pictures or out on the road, the new sports car looks fantastic. If the use of four-cylinder or Toyota engines makes you question the price, then the styling makes you wonder if Lotus is charging enough; it really does have the look of a junior supercar.

Thankfully, that impression continues inside, where this is undoubtedly the best Lotus cabin yet, at least from a quality perspective. It feels better made than any previous Lotus and Hethel has made a real step up in terms of materials and technology. It has a premium feel that the Evora, despite its improvements over the years, never quite did.

There’s enough personalisation to really tailor the Emira to a buyer’s tastes, too, with a decent selection of exterior shades (including, thankfully, some attention-grabbing hues as well as just silvers and greys), while light grey, red, and tan leather trim joins the usual black leather and Alcantara options inside, giving what might feel like quite a dark cabin a useful boost.

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The dashboard design is simple and attractive, and while the slightly squared-off wheel looks a little odd, it feels good in the hands. Lotus has got the basic driving position right, too, and the digital instrument display ahead of you is clearly visible.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Lotus has joined the modern world with the Emira’s infotainment system, but luckily it hasn’t been tempted to include features like the heater controls or the car’s drive mode selection into the screen, which both get blissfully simple physical controls.

The touchscreen for everything else is a 10.25-inch display mounted above the central air vents, and it’s intuitive enough to use. There’s also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, and a KEF stereo system.