Dealer Demo cars in Europe and UK

[Stino]

I think Hyundai (ok more so Genesis) have very good interior quality. KIA at least in our market is placed below. All I can think about is the video of you moving the climate controls around... I would expect at least a Volvo level of finish, since it's mostly from their part

There has been three EU deliveries with mesh in Belgium... So who knows. Very odd. I will hold judgement on the screen until I see it. It may not be 100K worthy for a 2024 model year vehicle. The fact that the interior finish was compared to KIA.... well over in the N/A market that is not a very good compliment at all.

I actually also drive a 2022 KIA sorento (large suv, comparable to BMW X5) and its interior quality is not bad at all (huge improvement to earlier Model Years). Interior quality of the Emira is on that level, but definitely below newer BMWs and also below Volvos - but I guess that applies for many other sportscar manufacturers. There are some things that are just not on premium level (which is ok to a certain extent)…you can rather feel it (when turning switches, pushing buttons) than actually see it. Overall, still ok.

 

[emiraspain]

I actually also drive a 2022 KIA sorento (large suv, comparable to BMW X5) and its interior quality is not bad at all (huge improvement to earlier Model Years). Interior quality of the Emira is on that level, but definitely below newer BMWs and also below Volvos - but I guess that applies for many other sportscar manufacturers. There are some things that are just not on premium level (which is ok to a certain extent)…you can rather feel it (when turning switches, pushing buttons) than actually see it. Overall, still ok.

I concur and I also agree .

 

[Mctaff]

hey hey hey...i have a sister company ironic 5. its really not too bad at the top end..... in fact 7/10 id say....porsche 8...

ironic 5?



I have to say I thought the steering wheel buttons were utter $%£* on the demo car. nasty cheap nasty. rest I thought was good

 

[digilotus]

I actually also drive a 2022 KIA sorento (large suv, comparable to BMW X5) and its interior quality is not bad at all (huge improvement to earlier Model Years). Interior quality of the Emira is on that level, but definitely below newer BMWs and also below Volvos - but I guess that applies for many other sportscar manufacturers. There are some things that are just not on premium level (which is ok to a certain extent)…you can rather feel it (when turning switches, pushing buttons) than actually see it. Overall, still ok.

Yet the Emira turning switches / stalks and window buttons are from Volvo XC40/ Polestar 1/Lynk & Co 01…

 

[VL3X]

View attachment 8750
Wheel gap rear…

Looks great to me... It'll lower a bit after a few weeks of driving.

 

[TomE]

Surely the basic running gear of an Emira is similar to an Evora 400. I dont remember any problems getting parts for that car when in production.

Possibly similar but the only parts the same between the two are the engine and transmission.

The Evora was built before COVID and global supply chain disruption. The world is a different place now, particularly for manufacturing..

 

[lion shf]

hey hey hey...i have a sister company ironic 5. its really not too bad at the top end..... in fact 7/10 id say....porsche 8...

SHOCKED you d be seen in that

 

[KusaKusa]

I actually also drive a 2022 KIA sorento (large suv, comparable to BMW X5) and its interior quality is not bad at all (huge improvement to earlier Model Years). Interior quality of the Emira is on that level, but definitely below newer BMWs and also below Volvos - but I guess that applies for many other sportscar manufacturers. There are some things that are just not on premium level (which is ok to a certain extent)…you can rather feel it (when turning switches, pushing buttons) than actually see it. Overall, still ok.

Apologies but there are some objectively false assessments of the Emira interior vs other cars. It's possible to quantify the material quality and costs of an interior, so it's not as subjective as some would think. The Emira is definitely quantifably better than the Sorento and probably a bit better than a top trim X5. In the Emira, basically ALL surfaces are leather- or alcantara-wrapped except for the lower door cards, which still use a decently-high quality injection molded plastic. Not only are leather and alcantara (which are surprisingly similar in price) more expensive in material costs to injection molded plastic, but the assembly is more laborious and less automated than you might expect. Leather and alcantara have to be physically wrapped around a surface, with the stitching aligned to the specified locations, and then the edges have adhesive applied to secure onto the surface. With an injection molded plastic, you just pick and place it for assembly. And we know Lotus is supplied leather from Bridge of Weir, which uses the highest tier quality leather that's also used in Aston Martins. There are real metal door handles, speaker grilles, center tunnel control trim, and maybe side air vents. The headliner is alcantara instead of the standard cardboard fabric. The buttons seem to be standard premium brand quality but that's the Volvo and Lynk & Co roots.

The steering wheel in particular is expensive because it has two different surfaces sewn together behind the outside-facing surface to achieve that seam that faces the driver. So you have two different pieces (more cost than a single piece) and an extra step to sew them together vs just a normal steering wheel leather piece. And then when you sew the leather to the wheel, you also have to make sure the seam mentioned before aligns perfectly to face the driver and stay straight.

In comparison, BMWs overall have pretty mediocre interiors until you get on the high end of the X5/5-Series. In the X5, the upper dashboard and upper and mid doors are wrapped in BMW's SensaTec vinyl, which is absolutely shit vinyl because it feels like coarse rubber and is made of worse materials than most vinyls. You have to pay extra to get real leather wrapped on those. In the cheaper BMWs, those are just plastic. In the US, you can't even option real leather seats and armrests on the X5 unless you have the i6 engine. I believe the only real metal in the X5 is the thin strip along the wood trim and maybe the door handle, and otherwise all other buttons and controls are rubber, painted plastic, or glass specifically for the gear lever and rotary control if you pay for it. You can pay for an alcantara headliner, but cheaper BMWs don't even have that option.

Kia/Hyundai/Genesis do a good job looking great and getting away with cheaper materials. I know because I own one. Their seating basic leather is bad, like bottom of the barrel stuff that has a bunch of plastic materials on the surface for durability with an embossed pattern to not seem like it. But most economy car brands have similar quality leather (and BMW with it's base "Vernasca"/Dakota leather lmao) so it's not relatively bad for Kia. You have to opt for the nappa leather to get anything resembling quality top or full grain leather. For the Sorento specifically, the door armrest is vinyl-wrapped, but everything around it is plastic, and the trim is plastic painted to be like metal. The dashboard is all plastic, but they do a good job with patterned trims and stitching into the plastic to make it look fancier.

Anyway, I think you guys get the point. If it's injection-molded plastic, it's cheaping out. Even the Porsche Cayman has a ton of it unless you option the leather wrapping everywhere. Then you have Lotus with the Emira having everything wrapped. I think they did a great job with the interior and are honestly trying to have it not just look nice but also make it genuine with its quality. Personally, I think they did a better job with the interior vs the Cayman, despite what auto journalists say. Sorry for the rant.

 

[Climber]

Apologies but there are some objectively false assessments of the Emira interior vs other cars. It's possible to quantify the material quality and costs of an interior, so it's not as subjective as some would think. The Emira is definitely quantifably better than the Sorento and probably a bit better than a top trim X5. In the Emira, basically ALL surfaces are leather- or alcantara-wrapped except for the lower door cards, which still use a decently-high quality injection molded plastic. Not only are leather and alcantara (which are surprisingly similar in price) more expensive in material costs to injection molded plastic, but the assembly is more laborious and less automated than you might expect. Leather and alcantara have to be physically wrapped around a surface, with the stitching aligned to the specified locations, and then the edges have adhesive applied to secure onto the surface. With an injection molded plastic, you just pick and place it for assembly. And we know Lotus is supplied leather from Bridge of Weir, which uses the highest tier quality leather that's also used in Aston Martins. There are real metal door handles, speaker grilles, center tunnel control trim, and maybe side air vents. The headliner is alcantara instead of the standard cardboard fabric. The buttons seem to be standard premium brand quality but that's the Volvo and Lynk & Co roots.

The steering wheel in particular is expensive because it has two different surfaces sewn together behind the outside-facing surface to achieve that seam that faces the driver. So you have two different pieces (more cost than a single piece) and an extra step to sew them together vs just a normal steering wheel leather piece. And then when you sew the leather to the wheel, you also have to make sure the seam mentioned before aligns perfectly to face the driver and stay straight.

In comparison, BMWs overall have pretty mediocre interiors until you get on the high end of the X5/5-Series. In the X5, the upper dashboard and upper and mid doors are wrapped in BMW's SensaTec vinyl, which is absolutely shit vinyl because it feels like coarse rubber and is made of worse materials than most vinyls. You have to pay extra to get real leather wrapped on those. In the cheaper BMWs, those are just plastic. In the US, you can't even option real leather seats and armrests on the X5 unless you have the i6 engine. I believe the only real metal in the X5 is the thin strip along the wood trim and maybe the door handle, and otherwise all other buttons and controls are rubber, painted plastic, or glass specifically for the gear lever and rotary control if you pay for it. You can pay for an alcantara headliner, but cheaper BMWs don't even have that option.

Kia/Hyundai/Genesis do a good job looking great and getting away with cheaper materials. I know because I own one. Their seating basic leather is bad, like bottom of the barrel stuff that has a bunch of plastic materials on the surface for durability with an embossed pattern to not seem like it. But most economy car brands have similar quality leather (and BMW with it's base "Vernasca"/Dakota leather lmao) so it's not relatively bad for Kia. You have to opt for the nappa leather to get anything resembling quality top or full grain leather. For the Sorento specifically, the door armrest is vinyl-wrapped, but everything around it is plastic, and the trim is plastic painted to be like metal. The dashboard is all plastic, but they do a good job with patterned trims and stitching into the plastic to make it look fancier.

Anyway, I think you guys get the point. If it's injection-molded plastic, it's cheaping out. Even the Porsche Cayman has a ton of it unless you option the leather wrapping everywhere. Then you have Lotus with the Emira having everything wrapped. I think they did a great job with the interior and are honestly trying to have it not just look nice but also make it genuine with its quality. Personally, I think they did a better job with the interior vs the Cayman, despite what auto journalists say. Sorry for the rant.

Great explanation! And thanks for all the information! Details like these are what I love and this forum!!!!

 

[Lotustoronto]

Apologies but there are some objectively false assessments of the Emira interior vs other cars. It's possible to quantify the material quality and costs of an interior, so it's not as subjective as some would think. The Emira is definitely quantifably better than the Sorento and probably a bit better than a top trim X5. In the Emira, basically ALL surfaces are leather- or alcantara-wrapped except for the lower door cards, which still use a decently-high quality injection molded plastic. Not only are leather and alcantara (which are surprisingly similar in price) more expensive in material costs to injection molded plastic, but the assembly is more laborious and less automated than you might expect. Leather and alcantara have to be physically wrapped around a surface, with the stitching aligned to the specified locations, and then the edges have adhesive applied to secure onto the surface. With an injection molded plastic, you just pick and place it for assembly. And we know Lotus is supplied leather from Bridge of Weir, which uses the highest tier quality leather that's also used in Aston Martins. There are real metal door handles, speaker grilles, center tunnel control trim, and maybe side air vents. The headliner is alcantara instead of the standard cardboard fabric. The buttons seem to be standard premium brand quality but that's the Volvo and Lynk & Co roots.

The steering wheel in particular is expensive because it has two different surfaces sewn together behind the outside-facing surface to achieve that seam that faces the driver. So you have two different pieces (more cost than a single piece) and an extra step to sew them together vs just a normal steering wheel leather piece. And then when you sew the leather to the wheel, you also have to make sure the seam mentioned before aligns perfectly to face the driver and stay straight.

In comparison, BMWs overall have pretty mediocre interiors until you get on the high end of the X5/5-Series. In the X5, the upper dashboard and upper and mid doors are wrapped in BMW's SensaTec vinyl, which is absolutely shit vinyl because it feels like coarse rubber and is made of worse materials than most vinyls. You have to pay extra to get real leather wrapped on those. In the cheaper BMWs, those are just plastic. In the US, you can't even option real leather seats and armrests on the X5 unless you have the i6 engine. I believe the only real metal in the X5 is the thin strip along the wood trim and maybe the door handle, and otherwise all other buttons and controls are rubber, painted plastic, or glass specifically for the gear lever and rotary control if you pay for it. You can pay for an alcantara headliner, but cheaper BMWs don't even have that option.

Kia/Hyundai/Genesis do a good job looking great and getting away with cheaper materials. I know because I own one. Their seating basic leather is bad, like bottom of the barrel stuff that has a bunch of plastic materials on the surface for durability with an embossed pattern to not seem like it. But most economy car brands have similar quality leather (and BMW with it's base "Vernasca"/Dakota leather lmao) so it's not relatively bad for Kia. You have to opt for the nappa leather to get anything resembling quality top or full grain leather. For the Sorento specifically, the door armrest is vinyl-wrapped, but everything around it is plastic, and the trim is plastic painted to be like metal. The dashboard is all plastic, but they do a good job with patterned trims and stitching into the plastic to make it look fancier.

Anyway, I think you guys get the point. If it's injection-molded plastic, it's cheaping out. Even the Porsche Cayman has a ton of it unless you option the leather wrapping everywhere. Then you have Lotus with the Emira having everything wrapped. I think they did a great job with the interior and are honestly trying to have it not just look nice but also make it genuine with its quality. Personally, I think they did a better job with the interior vs the Cayman, despite what auto journalists say. Sorry for the rant.

Keep in mind we are looking at the F/E Emira, meaning it is completely optioned out. If you were doing CXX at Porsche, well sky is the limit and if you have money to spend, you can do anything... they will wrap anything and everything in leather if you want. PTS paint really anything.

Top end Genesis trims are pretty top shelf. I wouldn't have said this before, but they have come a long way.

I will say that the Emira's use of leather/alcantara/aluminium deviated stitching etc. is a miles above huyandai/kia/even some BMW (maybe not a 7 series)

I think when we were comparing interior quality was more about tech/screens (I personally like Emira tech from what I've seen, but it's not MB/BMW/Porsche levels) and switch gear items / climate control etc. Interior materials I think is a strong point and your bang on the steering wheel. Previous seat verisions had some issues, but looks to be sorted. You did point out some excellent strong points and I will say for the most part British cars tend to have better interior materials, more so than Japanese/Koreans. One of the reasons I like them.

Edit: I think most the journalists actually say the interior is more modern and better than the Cayman. It was the fit and finish (not materials) that they said may be just below the them. I remember Jethro in the EVO review said just sitting in the Emira will make you forget the Porsche even exists.

 

[Stino]

Looks great to me... It'll lower a bit after a few weeks of driving.

I compared it to the blue prototype that I saw 6-7 months ago. I’d say that car was 6-8mm lower and it really changed the overall look of the car to the better. A smaller wheel gap is one side effect…but as you say, it’ll probably lower a bit and maybe that’s the bit needed ;-)

 

[emiraspain]

ironic 5?



I have to say I thought the steering wheel buttons were utter $%£* on the demo car. nasty cheap nasty. rest I thought was good

I was hoping someone would notice.... otherwise all my energy and creativity is wasted..... this must be how the lotus engineer felt who designed the gull wing doors for the emira.. haha

 

[emiraspain]

SHOCKED you d be seen in that

according to carbuzz.. its the best EV in america ....
for me, for the money...... for what you get...... taking into account teslas are like levis blue jeans back in the 90's.... ie be the same as everyone else and no style or design..... I think its the best for me..for sure...for now...for heavens sake

 

[roundincircles]

I think there is confusion between quality and specification.

A paper cup made to the same dimensions and surface finish each time it is produced is a high-quality product but low specification material. A ceramic cup made with varying shapes and dimensions is low quality but has high material specification.

So, as I understand, Lotus have very high specification leather parts and hopefully, they build/assemble with high quality!

Porsche has made a tangible improvement to build integrity, achieving high levels of quality.....but still with some Bakelite bits.

I will get off the soapbox, appologies.

 

[emiraspain]

I think there is confusion between quality and specification.

A paper cup made to the same dimensions and surface finish each time it is produced is a high-quality product but low specification material. A ceramic cup made with varying shapes and dimensions is low quality but has high material specification.

So, as I understand, Lotus have very high specification leather parts and hopefully, they build/assemble with high quality!

Porsche has made a tangible improvement to build integrity, achieving high levels of quality.....but still with some Bakelite bits.

I will get off the soapbox, appologies.

yesterdays german visit throws into doubt some of those premises at the german dealers premises ...
I dont think they have very high spec parts to be honest..... not from the hours I was sat in the car, but each person will have to judge that for themselves. Where you are coming from and your other cars, I dont think you will see much high quality... and I stick with a 7/10

 

[roundincircles]

yesterdays german visit throws into doubt some of those premises at the german dealers premises ...
I dont think they have very high spec parts to be honest..... not from the hours I was sat in the car, but each person will have to judge that for themselves. Where you are coming from and your other cars, I dont think you will see much high quality... and I stick with a 7/10

Yes, you defo need a leather dash in the 718. And elsewhere if you don't like grey plastic. It's easy to forget that margin management drives every decision in car manufacturers, hence low-cost plastics are below eye level, and the customer pays for an upgrade or it won't happen Sir!

 

[emiraspain]

Yes, you defo need a leather dash in the 718. And elsewhere if you don't like grey plastic. It's easy to forget that margin management drives every decision in car manufacturers, hence low-cost plastics are below eye level, and the customer pays for an upgrade or it won't happen Sir!

Porsche are the best at making those small improvements 100% necessary.... and hence you spend the extra 2500 for full leather, or as you say, at least the 1200 for the dash... etc etc etc. They invest a great deal in getting it just right, just the right amount of temptation to take a 49k car and make it into a 70k car...... its amazing!
Landrover are trying their best to emulate the feat ....
If everyone just bought the cars based on engine and ignored extras, i think these car companies would be in a very different position. There would be at best asda's own tea at porsche instead of the best italian coffee and english biscuits, or I've even seen pick n mix!!!!

 

[VL3X]

I compared it to the blue prototype that I saw 6-7 months ago. I’d say that car was 6-8mm lower and it really changed the overall look of the car to the better. A smaller wheel gap is one side effect…but as you say, it’ll probably lower a bit and maybe that’s the bit needed ;-)

Yeah, the Seneca show car was lowered and had wheel spacers.

 

[Citizen]

I just see this short video about some customers cars delivered but I don’t know which dealer was

 

[Rollie]

I just see this short video about some customers cars delivered but I don’t know which dealer was

This must be Lotus Verhiest at Oostend( Belgium)