Regardless of some teething issues, the Lucid Air has so far wowed as the primary product of a startup carmaker. Truly, the qualifier isn’t actually crucial: the Air simply wows, interval, whether or not you’re speaking about driving the factor or studying about its actually spectacular engineering.
Drawback is, having a one-car lineup consisting of a sedan isn’t precisely a recipe for fulfillment in 2023. An SUV is a should, and the Lucid Gravity is that SUV, bringing all that spectacular electrical motor and battery engineering to a extra family- and market-friendly physique type.
It ought to be mentioned, although, that “SUV” is form of a relative time period right here. Very similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Mustang Mach-E, the Lucid Gravity is a segment-bending form of car. In particular person, it’s notably decrease than the everyday three-row SUV, with the highest of the liftgate falling properly under this 6-foot-3 editor’s chin. Its brief hood and lengthy physique are greater than a bit evocative of a, he whispers, minivan. In reality, the way in which the third-row disappears right into a deep cavity behind it’s precisely what you’d discover in a minivan. Or a Ford Flex. Truly, that’s an honest comparability for the Gravity’s physique type: it’s form of a cross between a Flex and a Mercedes R-Class with an accessible adjustable air suspension that may increase it greater off the bottom than both. Like I ship, segment-bending.
Now, not one of the previous paragraph ought to be thought of a nasty factor. If you would like a macho, off-roading EV, Rivian exists. The Lucid Gravity is a extra smart household car, with extra household pleasant house and flexibility than you’d get within the current assortment of luxurious EVs (the EQS SUV is LOL by comparability). It additionally packs all that inside house right into a a lot smaller exterior footprint than a comparably spacious gas-powered SUV (it’s 6 inches shorter than a Mercedes GLS). The second-row slides by an enormous diploma and will get handled to fold-down tables full with pill holders. We didn’t get an opportunity to sit down within the third row of this very pre-production Gravity, however the house between the far-sliding second row and the third row was ample, as was the house between seat backside and footwell. This can be a well-packaged car, a testomony to some great benefits of EV structure normally and Lucid’s extraordinarily compact componentry.
Past having extra cargo house behind the raised third row than most three-row SUVs (this factor goes to smoke my Baggage Take a look at), the Gravity’s second row folds completely flat permitting for 104 cubic ft of house. An 8.5-foot-long surfboard can match diagonally, whereas a 7-foot one can match lengthwise. Hey, Lucid is a really California firm with the state’s bear emblem proudly positioned inside every of the 20-plus-inch wheels – surfboard fitment is essential, bra. And must you want a useful place to hang around submit waves, the 8.1-cubic-foot frunk provides an accessible fold-up cushion to remodel the house into a snug, if lofty bench. Given the frunk’s form, I’m much less sure about its usefulness for cargo – it’s undoubtedly much less helpful than the Air’s frunk. And for reference the Gravity’s complete cargo house with that frunk involves 112 cubic ft.
As for the remainder of the inside, it’s sufficient of a “wow” second to make you marvel why I’ve been occurring a lot about surfboards and frunks. It’s a transparent evolution of what you’ll discover within the Air, but it surely’s additionally significantly upgraded, making us ponder whether potential consumers of the Air would possibly really feel a bit shortchanged. The present piece is a 34-inch curved, uninterrupted OLED show that appears sensational from each angle. There aren’t any cutlines between screens, however the areas to the left and proper of the instrument space are contact delicate. As within the Air, the right-side infotainment space works in live performance with a bigger display under. Moderately than the Air’s portrait orientation, although, the Gravity’s is a 12.6-inch tablet-like panorama orientation. There are bodily controls under that display, together with these for quantity, temperature, fan velocity and two customizable buttons for no matter you’d like.
One other key improve over the Air is the steering wheel: It’s a squircle with a flat high and backside, which is to make sure you can see your entire instrument panel past. It looks like it satisfies that aim. The squircle additionally has new touchpads on it, changing the Air’s lovely-if-functionally-limited corrugated rollers. They weren’t practical on this pre-production car, however one is supposed to regulate the instrument panel and the opposite the infotainment screens, with swiping and sliding performance much like what you’d discover on an Apple TV distant. Mercedes tried one thing related, however its pads had been so small that they could possibly be troublesome to make use of. This has extra promise.
By way of old style inside performance, the middle console is evocative of the intelligent versatility discovered within the Ram 1500 and previous-generation Honda Civic. Beneath a stunning glass sliding cowl is a deep bin with a sliding tray housing two wi-fi cellphone chargers (a rarity), cupholders and removeable sub-bins. Once more, the Gravity inside is a household pleasant, but it surely additionally appears to be like terrific, each by way of design and the supplies used. It appears to be like and appears like the long run, however in a method that doesn’t lose monitor of how folks really use automobiles at this time.
Now, in case you’re questioning why it’s taking so lengthy to get to all the electrical car particulars, it’s as a result of the Gravity is principally the identical beneath because the Air. Most specs are additionally nonetheless TBA. It shares the identical modular structure and the identical motors aside from variations in gearing to account for the improved torque required by the off-road drive modes and towing potential. Which is 6,000 kilos, by the way in which.
There might be two battery capacities accessible, with a most vary exceeding 440 miles, based on Lucid. The person battery packs are the identical as these within the Air, however are organized in another way as a result of packaging necessities of a three-row “SUV” versus a sedan. As one instance, the Air stacks some packs atop one another beneath the again seat, whereas they’re stacked beneath the Gravity’s entrance seat to reap the benefits of the necessity to present a taller seating place anyway. Recharging ought to be simply as distinctive because the Air, with its 900-volt structure permitting for a theoretical replenishment of 200 miles in about quarter-hour … on a charger that works to its potential. Cue the snicker monitor, however sometime! Sometime!
Air suspension is optionally available, and when so-equipped, routinely adjusts in top based mostly on drive mode. It will also be manually adjusted ought to you end up off-road. Just like the Air, the Gravity has semi-active damping management, however not like the Air, it provides the choice of rear-wheel steering. That, plus what we’ve skilled within the Air, ought to point out that the Gravity might be one of many tightest-handling three-row autos in the marketplace.
There are different variations and additions of observe, together with new colours past these accessible on the Air. New “Lucid Sanctuary” and “Lucid Areas” options use all that display house and the sound system to show the cabin, when parked, into completely different immersive environments. Some are meditative, however there’s additionally a rock live performance one and the potential for others. And not using a full demo, it was laborious to totally comprehend, not to mention recognize. However hey, it’ll exist.
So will the Lucid Gravity come late 2024 when manufacturing begins. Lucid has a greater monitor document than different EV makers, together with that tiny startup often known as “Normal Motors,” of getting its creations to market, in order that timeline appears possible. Lucid says the beginning value level might be “beneath $80,000,” which if that’s the case, might be robust worth for a three-row car with real family-friendly house, a tech-filled luxurious cabin and actually spectacular EV credentials.